The Governor's Daughter and the Bounty Hunter
by Kuroi Uma
Summary: At the end of the 19th century, a young lady seeks the help of a bounty hunter to avenge her dead father. HeeroXRelena
1. Chapter I

**CHAPTER I**

She stood in front of the saloon clutching her purse tightly with both hands. A saloon was not the place for a respectable woman least of all an unaccompanied one, but she had to go in. It was the only way to find him, the man who could help her avenge her father.

"For you, father." She took a deep breath and pushed the doors.

Almost immediately, all eyes turned to her. She guessed there must be about fifteen men including the bartender and the piano player. There were also a couple working women. Tense, she pretended not to notice the looks they gave her as she made her way to the bar. By the time the bartender was finally free to talk to her the atmosphere seemed to have returned to a somewhat normal state, though she still did not feel comfortable.

"How can I help you, miss?"

"I am looking for a man named Heero Yuy."

"You looking for Yuy? He don't come in 'til late, miss."

"Where else can I find him?"

"At this hour…" he took a quick look at his pocket watch. "At this hour, you might find him at the stables."

"Much obliged."

After a short curtsy, she left the saloon and headed to the stables. Somewhere along the way she just knew she was being followed, but the setting sun threw shadows all over the place and, when she turned around, she could not see anything suspicious. Quickening her pace, enough not to look like she knew and was running away, she made it to the stables where she spotted a moustached old man scattering hay.

"Excuse me, mister."

He took off his hat and greeted her. "Miss."

"I am looking for Mr. Yuy."

"In the paddock. Just that way."

"Thank you."

The paddock was at the other side of the stables. The only person there was a short brown haired man brushing a black horse. As she approached him, she noticed he carried, many weapons on his person and she knew he must be the man she was looking for.

"Mr. Yuy?"

He turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Heero Yuy?"

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, hesitant, but freed one hand and extended it to him. "Relena Darlian."

"You already know my name." he said simply, ignoring her hand.

Relena knew he was waiting for her to tell him what it was that she needed, but she was struck speechless and that had never happened to her before. She did not know what to do. Thankfully, he turned away and resumed brushing the horse. That gave her time to think.

"I need you to get me inside the Kushrenada's mansion."

He stared at her with suspicion. "Why?"

"I am going to end Mr. and Mrs. Kushrenada's lives."

"Are you?" Heero frowned, serious. "You have not even made it here without being followed."

"I have not been followed!" she stated stubbornly even though she knew it was a lie.

With a discreet joyless smile, he pulled his pistol from its holster and fired at the stable door's threshold. A man immediately stepped out from behind it, his hands up. Relena recognized him as one of the men who had been at the saloon.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Yuy. I wasn't gonna harm her. I swear."

"Go home, Pete."

The man glared at them. Relena thought he would attempt to shoot them, but Heero was still aiming his pistol at him and so he simply left with a smile. That smile was so disgusting it sent chills down her spine. She turned back to Heero ready to beg if necessary. Knowing that she could have been attacked by such a man…

"So…" she started when the silence had stretched enough.

"I can't help you."

"Why not? All the other gunslingers I talked to said that if someone could help me that someone was you."

"I'm sorry." He said, but his emotionless tone made her doubt the sincerity of his words.

"How much?" Relena inquired, all of a sudden, as he started walking away. "I can pay you as much as you want."

Heero let out a long breath and stood there in silence. She did not know what he was thinking about for his back remained turned to her, but she guessed he must be calculating just how much he needed the money.

"I will be staying at the hotel." She decided to give him more time. It was an important decision. "Let me know as soon as you have an answer."

With renewed confidence, Relena walked past him. She did not look back.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I am a huge fan of western and it took me a long time to come up with a good enough idea for a gundam wing one. Cliché, yes, probably, but all genres have their clichés. Now, you tell me your opinion and if you would like another chapter. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter II

**CHAPTER II**

"Here's a list of what we'll need." He watched as she read frowning at times.

They were currently in her room at the hotel and, while she calmly sat there with curls of blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, Heero wondered if she was too daring or too stupid. If he were any other man he would probably have attacked her by now, but, for better or worse, he was a decent man so he stood at the door merely watching her.

"Well…" she lowered the paper and met his eye. "I am sure I understand the supplies, but the clothes…"

"You don't honestly expect to ride a horse with that fancy dress." He tried to make it sound like a simple question, but failed. Thankfully, his dry tone did not seem to have an effect on her. He really needed the money.

"No, of course not." There was a touch of disappointment in her voice.

"There's a tailor across the street."

"Thank you. I will see to it later." She took another look at the list which was now lying on her lap. "A horse is easy to buy… Improved weaponry?"

"I know a man who can help us with that."

Relena nodded, staring thoughtfully at the piece of paper. "Do we really need to ride?" she asked when she finally lifted her head. "Could we not take the train?"

Heero did not dignify that with a response. "I'll see you later." Was all he said, tipping his hat. He only hoped she would not waste his time and give up sooner rather than later.

* * *

Wearing her brand new rancher clothes, Relena made her way to the livery where Heero was waiting for her. She did not want to tell him the truth because they had just met and she needed his respect, but she was starting to feel like she had no choice. When she saw the horse he was leading her way she was almost certain.

"I got your message."

"I've bought you a horse."

Relena smiled and petted the palomino horse. She loved it that Heero never used titles to address her, it made her feel common.

"How much do I owe you?"

"You can pay me when we're done." He offered a hand to help her climb on the horse.

She realized then, she could not pretend anymore. "I have never ridden a horse before."

"I know." His face showed nothing, but he did not withdraw his hand as she had expected.

This time, she did not hesitate. If he believed she could do it… For some reason, looking deep into his eyes, she believed it as well. She allowed her body to adjust to the saddle as Heero led the horse to a nearby paddock. The horse was calm and obedient, he did not start galloping as soon as Heero let go of the reins, but merely stood there waiting for her command.

It was true Relena had never ridden – her parents had always been overprotective – but she had seen her father ride and she knew, in theory, what to do. She nudged the horse gently with her ankles and he started walking. Then she pulled the reins lightly to one side and asked the horse to move faster. From trot, she quickly moved to a canter as the horse made a circle following the fence.

The wind felt wonderful against her hair and she smiled. Heero nodded to her, still expressionless, and walked away.

* * *

When she walked into the saloon, all eyes turned to her except his. She walked up to the corner where he stood, his arms crossed and his hat covering half his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone slightly harsher than usual.

"Looking for you." She answered, obstinate.

He lifted his head, meeting her eyes. "You should not wander alone at night."

"I don't need you to take care of me, Mr. Yuy. I can take care of myself." She ignored his snort and continued. "You said you knew someone who could arrange us weapons. Who is it and when are we meeting him?"

"Come." He held her elbow gently, despite the coldness of his tone, and led her outside, throwing warning glares at a spectator or two.

Relena followed quietly. She could see they were headed to the hotel and did not worry.

"His name is Howard." Heero started when they were far enough from the saloon. "We'll find him in L2."

"He lives in L2?"

"Worried?"

"I heard it was deserted."

"A gang took over the place."

Now, she was getting concerned. Gangs were not to be messed with. "This man… Howard. Is he part of the gang?"

"I'm not sure."

They halted in front of the hotel then. Relena took a step back as Heero pulled out his pistol. Alarmed, she looked around, searching for danger, but he was not aiming at anyone. He checked the magazine then handed the gun to her.

"I can't accept…" she said, looking down at the weapon in her hands and back at him. "What about you?"

"You need it more than I do."

Relena looked at the pistol again. There was nothing she could say. She would have thanked him, but he was already on his way. With a gleam in her eyes, she watched him disappear in the shadows.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for giving a chance to this fic. I have to admit I am not very fond of AU fics either, but that's usually because the characters are OUT of character in them. I'll do my best to prevent that from happening. Now, about the chapter... I know it's short and boring, but I promise things will heat up soon. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter III

**CHAPTER III**

It had been a long time, but Relena knew how to shoot. Her parents were afraid of her falling off a horse and breaking all her bones, but they thought it essential for her to be able to defend herself in case their property was invaded or someone tried to kidnap her. She hated weapons though and wished the moment she killed the Kushrenadas would be the only moment she would actually need them. It was wishing for too much… Things were going to get dangerous soon and she needed to protect her life. There would be no revenge if she were dead.

She stood in the middle of the field, behind the stables – but far enough not to scare the horses – her back straight and the pistol aimed at one of the bottles she had aligned on top of a couple abandoned boxes. Holding the gun with both hands to steady it, she fired. It was a near miss. With a sigh, she turned to look at whoever was approaching. It was Heero and he was leading both his and her horses.

"Good morning." She greeted him with a smile, and he gave her his usual nod. "Where are we going?"

"We're visiting a friend of mine." He handed her the reins of her horse. "It should be a good practice for you."

They rode for more than an hour. In silence. There was so much she wanted to ask him… Differently from her, he must have had a very exciting life. He did not ask anything about her life though and so she did not feel comfortable invading his privacy. She did not feel like talking about her life and he might not feel like talking about his either.

Finally, they arrived at their destiny. The ride was uneventful, and Relena was glad. She really did not want to look ridiculous in front of Heero. He did act like he did not care, but she did feel his eyes on her from time to time.

"There's something wrong." He said, gesturing for her to stop her horse.

The sign over their heads read "Barton's Ranch", but there were no animals or anyone around. The place looked completely deserted. Heero dismounted, and Relena copied him. Leading their horses by the reins they entered the ranch.

Heero looked at the empty barn on the right and latrine on the left from where they were. It was obvious there was no one there, but he could feel there were people inside the house. After so many years of living in constant danger, he had developed a kind of sixth sense, a strong intuition, and it rarely failed him.

They climbed up the couple steps that led to the porch. Relena was surprised at how silent he could be with those heavy boots, she was having a hard time walking silently and her boots were a lot lighter.

Two shiny twin revolvers had replaced the pistol at his holster; he held one almost leveled with his head. The front door was slightly ajar and they could hear distant voices. Heero pushed Relena gently against the wall with one arm and positioned himself at the other side of the door. He met her eyes for a second before pushing the door open and jumping in.

The big living room was completely empty, and the voices had ceased. Heero walked towards the stairs that led to the second floor, still careful not to make a sound, and while he watched for enemies ahead, Relena watched their backs. She did it out of instinct rather than experience. She was having a hard time keeping her quickening breath under control and needed something to distract her from the deafening beat of her heart.

As they reached the top of the stairs, a woman's voice could suddenly be heard more clearly and soon a shout of "help" reached their ears. Heero lowered his gun, his posture relaxing. Relena let out a deep breath.

Inside the last room of the corridor, they found two men and a red haired woman all sitting on the floor with their hands and feet tightly bound.

"Thank God!" the woman exclaimed when she saw them.

"Heero." The man with light brown hair falling over his eyes nodded in greeting.

"Trowa." Heero returned the gesture as he pulled a knife out of his boot and started cutting the ropes. "What happened here?"

"Damn cattle rustlers bribed our ranch hands." The older man answered. "They stole our cattle."

"How long?"

"It mustn't have been more than a couple hours ago." Trowa stood up, rubbing his wrists. "They can't be far."

"Then we should go." Heero handed his friend a repeater that had been standing against the wall. As they left the room, he looked at Relena over his shoulder. "Stay here."

She nodded. As much as she wanted to help, she knew that at her current state she would only disturb them. The red haired girl was tending to the old man's wounds, perhaps she might be of help here.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, last chapter was a little rushed, I know, because the story needed a kick to start moving, but from now on things will take a better slower rythm. Promise. Now, I know many of you would like longer chapters... My usual style is short chapters and fast updates, but if you prefer I can write longer chapters I just can't promise to update as often then. Double the size, double the time. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter IV

**CHAPTER IV**

Trowa was already headed to the stables when Heero reminded him that his horses had also been stolen. He mounted Relena's horse then and the two left at full gallop. They headed southeast to an abandoned farm where they supposed the criminals would stop to rest.

It was a small farm, only a house and a barn encircled by a rotting wooden fence. There was no one there, but they stopped and dismounted anyways. A closer exam of the soil showed recent hoof marks. Without a word, they agreed to move on.

When they finally caught up with the criminals, it was past midday and the scalding sun had started to wear them out. From a safe enough distance they observed the enemy, they were moving at a very low speed, probably due to the heat and the certainty that they could no longer be followed.

"I counted seven men." Heero commented offering Trowa his binoculars.

"The five at the rear are my ranch hands. We should not concern ourselves with them, they barely know how to shoot. It's the two men at the front we have to worry about." He said as he looked through the binoculars.

"We won't be able to shoot them from this distance without rifles."

"Then we should figure out the best way to approach them."

Retrieving his binoculars, Heero studied their position. "Your employees… Would you have them spared?"

"At this point, I don't think so. People will hear about this. They will never be hired again and end up becoming official cattle rustlers."

"Hn."

"Are any of those two cattle rustlers wanted?"

"I don't think so." He finally put the binoculars away. "We'll turn right, after that rock. With that boulder hiding us we should be able to overpass them without being seen and attack from the front. If the last five are as bad a shot as you say, once we've taken care of the leaders we should be fine."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

When the cattle rustlers spotted two riders coming their way, they did not pay them much mind. It was not unusual for people to use that road and, as long as they looked calm, no one would suspect that herd was not theirs. This had been their best plan so far. It would take days before someone found Barton and his family, and even if they managed to escape their binds before that, by the time they did it, it would be too late.

The riders stopped then, and a worried murmur erupted between the other five men, who were new at that stealing business. One of the leaders twisted his neck and told them to "shut up and keep moving", but the men were disturbed. Finally, the skinniest, most frightened one suggested it might be Mr. Barton. Angry, the cattle rustler twisted his neck again, this time to threaten to kill him if he opened his mouth one more time.

"If your boss were coming after us, he would come from there." He pointed behind them. "Stupid piece of…"

A shot sounded. The cows mooed, their eyes large with fear, and some even strayed away from the herd towards the open field. They were followed by the cattle rustler's horse. Its rider lay on the ground, his head bleeding. All the other men pulled out their revolvers as their remaining leader fired at the enemy.

The unknown riders were now galloping towards them with their weapons raised, and the herd, divided in smaller groups, was scattered around the field.

"It's Mr. Barton!" the skinny man shouted as he watched his companions falling in pools of blood around him. Trembling, he raised his revolver just as his former boss halted his horse in front of him.

"Give up, Sid." Trowa said with his usual calm.

"Wh-what are you doin' to me?" he managed to ask.

"We're taking you to jail."

"I-I don't wanna go to jail."

"What would you have us do, then?" the other man, who had been silent until that moment, also halted his horse close by.

Sid had seen that man at the ranch a couple of times. His cold eyes scared him. Suddenly, he simply knew that man would kill him. What else was there for him?

In a frenzy, he looked from the man to his revolver and fired.

The shot hit Trowa at the ribs. Sid looked even more scared. He would have run away if he had had the time to turn his thoughts into actions, but ended up joining his companions.

"I'm fine." Trowa met the other man's eyes. "It just grazed me. We should round up the strays and get back on our way."

* * *

When they finally arrived back at the ranch, the sun was almost touching the ground. It had taken them a long time to round up all the scared cows, and with them all tired and Trowa wounded they had had to adopt a slow pace.

"You've always had a hell of a good timing." Trowa commented as they led the cows into a corral. He clutched his wound which he had wrapped with his own dusty shirt.

Heero snorted. "I need your help."

"I figured as much." He watched his friend dismount and close the gate, before approaching to help him get off his recovered horse. "It's got to do with the girl, hasn't it?"

"She wants to kill the Kushrenadas."

"What?" Trowa turned from the horse to look at his friend. "Why?"

"I didn't ask."

"Of course, you didn't."

"I need to get her into their mansion and, for that, I need weapons."

"You're going after Howard." He finished. "In L2."

"They say a gang's taken over the place."

"So I heard."

They turned to the house where an angry looking woman stood at the porch.

"Trowa Barton, come here this instant and let me take care of that wound." She shouted, waving her arms at him.

"You should spend the night here. Your horses could use some rest." Trowa told Heero, but his eyes remained on the woman and a small smile twisted his lips. "And, tomorrow morning, I'll ride back with you."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **A few warnings... First, I'm undergoing surgery tomorrow (nothing major) and probably won't be able to update again until next week so I've made quite an effort to post this today. Second, I think the rating might have to go up depending on future chapters. Keep an eye out for that. And, finally, I know Catherine's hair is not exactly red, but I don't know all colour names, so... Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter V

**CHAPTER V**

Heero watched as Trowa and the woman made their way inside the house. It was such a peaceful scene… He felt tired suddenly, but the horses needed to be taken care of, so he unsaddled them and led them to an empty paddock where they would be able to graze. As he approached the entrance, he spotted Relena.

She had placed bottles on top of the fence and was aiming the pistol at them just as she had been doing that very morning when they left the town. When he opened the gate, she turned to him, her cheeks slightly redder than usual, but Heero ignored her. He released the horses, filled the water trough and brought some fresh hay from the barn.

Relena returned to her practice, but did not fool herself by thinking he was not watching her. She forced herself to concentrate and, after three attempts, was able to hit the target. Unsatisfied, she moved on to the next bottle, trying not to let her growing frustration show. Only a couple years without practicing… How could she have gotten so bad?

"You're tense." Heero's voice startled her. He was standing a couple steps away, watching with his arms crossed.

"I know." She sighed then took a very deep breath and released it in a failed attempt to relax. "I'm just so… angry."

He did not say a word, but approached her and lowered her arm just a little bit, his eyes on the target while hers watched him closely. Then he gestured for her to focus on the target and positioned his right hand under her elbow to steady it.

"Clear your mind."

She closed her eyes, letting the sound of the crickets and night birds fill her mind. Another deep breath, and she could sense the horses close by, the cows in the corral next to the barn and then she felt it… Heero's thigh and hip brushing against hers. She wondered if he had even noticed. He was watching her now, his breath touching her neck and face, but she had regained control. She opened her eyes, avoiding his, and fired. The bottle burst into many pieces.

Relena turned to him with an excited smile. There was a flash of emotion in his eyes, it lasted but a fraction of a second, and the mask was back in place.

"Good." he nodded. "Keep practicing."

His voice sounded as neutral as usual, but his head was in turmoil. He did not know why he was helping her or why he even cared. Would it not be easier to simply demand his payment in advance and hope she got killed along the way? Maybe even kill her himself, after all he had been raised to be an assassin.

"Are you hurt?" she asked quietly.

Heero frowned. "No."

She nodded, allowing the smile to return to her lips. "I should go help Catherine."

He stepped aside to let her through, then, as she walked away, he decided some things needed to change.

* * *

Relena ran a hand down her horse's forehead and smiled. His eyes were so gentle and warm, they comforted her.

"I think I'll call him Sunny."

Heero raised his eyebrows, but continued checking the saddles to make sure they were fastened. They were standing in front of the house, waiting for Trowa and Catherine to say their goodbyes, and, while Relena looked calm and happy, Heero was trying to keep himself busy.

Helping Relena with her shooting had been a mistake. He could not allow them to grow close to each other, but he could not wash his hands of it and let her get killed either. Maybe Trowa might be able to give her a hand with her practice. He had to focus on the mission's success and staying as far from her – emotionally – as he possibly could was essential.

"What's his name?" she was looking at him and his mount.

"Her name's Raven."

"I'm sorry. It's a she." Relena corrected herself, still smiling, unaffected by the rudeness of his tone.

Finally, Trowa climbed down the steps towards them. Catherine watched from the porch as he attached the heavy bag of supplies to his horse's saddle. She had insisted he take it. Relena waved to her and she waved back smiling. As for Heero, she pretended he was invisible. She did not like Trowa's friends, they were always getting him into trouble. Even now, when he was wounded, Heero was taking him away.

"Are you sure you can accompany us?" Relena asked him as they crossed the gate, immediately adopting a faster pace.

"Yes, miss. I've been through worse."

She nodded. "Where are we headed now? Are we going back to town?"

"Actually…" Trowa seemed to have had an idea. He stopped his horse. "Heero?"

"Hn."

"I was wondering if we shouldn't go see Chang first. He's been to L2 after the place was deserted. He should be able to provide us with some useful information."

"I doubt he'll help us." Heero turned his mare so he could look at the other man. "You know Chang."

"That's why I think we should try." Trowa knew there had been misunderstandings between them and their Chinese friend. He also knew Heero was far too stubborn and proud to ask the man for help. "Let Relena decide. Ms. Darlian?"

"She cannot opine. She doesn't even know Chang."

"But she's your 'client'. Shouldn't the mission always come first?" Trowa reasoned.

Both men turned to Relena, who could feel herself blush lightly. She had no idea who Chang was. Heero was right about that and she did not want to upset him, but if that stranger could really give them any information that might end up helping her avenge her father… She wanted to give it a try.

She met their eyes, confident, and nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Thank you all for your support, my surgery went well and I'm back to my writings already. Now... _Jennie-JenJen _asked me why the rating might have to go up… I do not intend for this fic to have any graphic sexual content - that's not allowed in the site and, though I know there are writers who disregard those rules, I will not be one of them. The reason for the rating going up would be language and/or violence, but only if necessary. Check the ratings guide if you still haven't. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter VI

**CHAPTER VI**

Trowa watched quietly as Relena approached him. Heero had been riding ahead ever since they had decided to visit Wufei and, even though Trowa knew he was not angry, the girl did not so her sudden approach did not surprise him. She stared at him, seemingly choosing her words, and he prepared himself to answer her questions or politely refuse to.

"Mr. Barton? I'm sure it's probably none of my business, but I just want to be sure I've made the right decision. Who is Chang?"

"Chang Wufei is an opium trader. He moved to America to work on the railroad like so many other Chinese men, but rebelled against the abusive work conditions. Now he imports opium from his homeland and sells it to all kinds people."

Relena nodded thoughtfully, her eyes once again on Heero. "Do you think I made the right choice?"

"You worry about your problems, miss. Let Heero worry about his own."

She looked sad, but thanked him. Trowa was surprised by her interest in Heero, it was almost as if she were worried about him. He had seen how unaffected she had been by Heero's rudeness and stoicalness, and that gave him hope. Hope that someone could finally see behind the mask, infiltrate that fortress Heero had built around himself and help heal his wounds. He deserved that much.

"We used to run in a posse together."

"Who?" Relena turned to him, surprised that their conversation had yet not reached its end. "Chang, Heero and you?"

"And a couple other fellas." He nodded. "Heero was our leader, a position he assumed naturally even though he was the last to join, but Chang was always disagreeing with him. Their conflicting ideas led them to a fight and they have been avoiding each other ever since our association ended."

"Thank you." She was serious. "For telling me."

"We should be quiet now. We're almost there."

L5 was a small town populated almost entirely by Chinese immigrants and famous for being dangerous. It was the refuge of all solitary outlaws and one or two eventual gangs. Chang Wufei's place was at the outskirts which meant they had to cross the entire town to get to it.

As soon as they crossed the _Welcome to L5 _sign, Relena felt heavy eyes on her. All the disgusting men around seemed to be staring at them, some glared challengingly while others gave then malicious toothless smiles.

Heero stopped and waited for her to catch up. "Stay close." He told her. "And keep your hand close to your gun."

She nodded. Even though she had never left her hometown until recently, she had heard her father talk about L5 and the failed attempts of lawmen to take over the place. Criminals had an obvious advantage there, but Heero's proximity still managed to comfort her somehow.

"That's the place." Trowa said, pointing to a somber wooden house standing alone in the middle of the grey sand and the desert plants.

"It looks deserted." Relena whispered. Heero met her eyes and his lips parted slightly, as if he were about to say something, but then he frowned and turned back to the house ahead.

"It's not. People feel intimidate by places that look inhabited by ghosts… It's mere strategy."

"I don't see how this could work."

"But it does. Ignorant people are superstitious."

"Fear…" Heero interrupted. "Works unconsciously. You cannot control it simply by reasoning."

"Then how?" Relena asked just as they halted their horses.

Tension was suddenly in the air, but no one pulled out their gun. They kept their hands on the grip. Soon they reached the door and relaxed a little. Trowa knocked, but only silence greeted them. There was not a single sound coming from inside the house, and they exchanged glances trying to decide what to do next. Should they walk in uninvited? Sneaking up on Wufei was not an option – it would surely end up bad – so their only choice was to reveal their presence.

"Chang!" Heero shouted taking a few steps back so he could see the entire house. He had his revolver out now.

After a moment, the sound of steps reached their ears. Relena's grip on her pistol tightened, she could feel her heart speed up and then Heero's hand was on her shoulder. She forced herself to take a deep breath and relax. When she met Heero's eyes, he gave her a nod.

"Yuy." They heard his voice before they saw him.

The Chinese man came walking slowly from behind the house. He was wearing white Chinese clothes and holding a long pipe in his hand, he looked calm. Instead of a gun, he carried a sword, but as he made no motion to unsheathe it, the others holstered their weapons.

"Barton." He greeted Trowa and then eyed Relena suspiciously.

"Relena Darlian." She politely offered her hand, but he barely gave it a glance and turned back to Heero.

"Done working for the government?"

"I've never officially worked for them."

"No. They just throw the bone and you go fetch it."

Wufei's eyes were cold while Heero's were hard. Both men looked calm and collected, but Relena could feel the battle that was going on and she feared they might jump at each other's throats if no one interfered. She glanced at Trowa, but he did not seem at all affected by the scene. Had he not sensed the danger?

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I am sure you have differences to settle, but I would like to take care of business first if that's possible." She said and earned a glare from Wufei before he turned back to Heero.

"I respected you, Yuy. I thought we were both above such things, but look at you now… You finally got yourself a woman."

Caught off guard, Heero lost his pose, gapping for a moment. He cleared his throat. "She's a client, Chang, and the only reason for this visit."

Wufei snorted. "Go straight to the point then."

They gave him a compact version of the story. Trowa and Heero decided not to omit anything for Chang would know if they did and therefore refuse to cooperate. He listened to them with a blank expression on his face, the pipe in his mouth. When they finished, he put it out patiently and the silence stretched.

"I will help you on one condition…" he met their eyes, resolution written all over his face. "I'll accompany you to Kushrenada's mansion."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I hope you liked Wufei, he is the character I find most difficult to write... I just have no idea what goes through his mind. I'm trying to adapt the conflict he and Heero had at Endless Waltz, hopefully it will turn out well. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter VII

**CHAPTER VII**

Inside, the house was even smaller, it had only one room with a bed in one corner, a stove in the other and a round table, where they were now sitting, in the other. A container had been placed next to the bed as well as a barrel with a lonely lamp on it. Heero was not surprised, he had Spartan tastes himself and would not live in a mansion no matter how rich he might be. He knew Wufei had money, opium was a very lucrative business.

"Yes, I've been to L2 after it was deserted." Chang said as he opened a bottle of moonshine and poured a dose into their glasses. "But not after the town was taken over, so I have no information whatsoever on the gang that runs the place now. Except perhaps for the fact that, if they buy opium, they don't buy it from me."

"You think you could draw us a map?" Heero asked pushing away his glass. If Relena had not agreed with Wufei's terms, they would not be sitting there now receiving "useful" information… He could not blame her for not knowing the man had nothing interesting to tell them, but he could try to extract from that agreement everything that Chang knew. Something had to be useful at the end.

Wufei sat down with charcoal and a piece of paper he had retrieved from the container by the bed. "I can try. It's a small town and the houses were built forming a circle. You should not have much problem finding your way around."

"Is there a saloon?" Trowa asked.

"Yes, there's a big saloon. That's usually where most of the gang members are concentrated while a few others do the rounds or go about their business."

"What about the leader?" all eyes turned to Relena. She did not feel like she had the right to participate in their discussion – she knew so little about all that – but she was there and they were there because of her. She wanted to be a part of it. "Every gang has a leader, right?"

"Some have more than one." Heero commented, thankfully, driving the attention away from her.

"We'll have to take risks there. We don't know who we're dealing with."

"I've met leaders who spent their time among their followers drinking and leaders who rarely left their bedroom. Leaders who liked to take part in the action, and leaders who preferred to watch from a safe distance. It is all very relative."

"Let us not make suppositions." Heero turned back to Wufei. "You have any idea how many men we're talking about?"

"I would guess around…" he frowned as he thought. "Fifty."

"Fifty?!" Trowa stared at him wide eyed. "That's more than ten men for each one of us."

Relena frowned worriedly. She had never thought about it before, but there were lives at stake. Those men would be risking their lives so she could avenge her father… Was it worth it? Her eyes found Heero's, he seemed to be the only one who had noticed her turmoil. She looked away, schooling her face into a blank mask, she did not want him to think she was weak.

"Whoever their leader – or leaders – is, he has some really popular and convincing ideas." Wufei continued. "I hear their gang's been growing progressively." He paused, they all seemed lost in their own thoughts. "Any ideas?"

"If we had dynamite, we could use it to blow up the saloon." Trowa commented.

"I know where to get us some." Wufei stood up. "You come with me, Barton."

It all happened so fast that, when Heero realized he was going to be left alone with Relena, they were already gone. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Just like him, she had not touched her drink. She looked tormented, with a frown on her face, and for whatever reason it bothered him.

"Are you drinking that?"

For a moment, she gapped at him as if she had not understood a single word, but quickly recomposed herself. "No."

He nodded. Then picked up both glasses and returned their contents to the bottle.

"You don't drink." It was a statement rather than a question.

"No." he confirmed, and she returned to contemplating the wall anxiously. He hated that look on her face. "Worried?" before he could help himself he had asked it.

"I…" surprised, she gapped at him again. Had he been cold to her just because the others were around? "I don't know." She watched him resume his seat, he had such a relaxed, reliable air about him at that moment. "They killed my father."

Heero did not seem surprised by her revelation, he did not even have to ask who she was talking about. "I'm sorry."

"I want them dead, Heero, but I am not sure I want you to risk your lives. I don't want to be selfish, but I can't do this alone." She sounded desperate, but she no longer cared.

"You're not forcing us, Relena. I'm doing it for the money, Trowa for the adventure and Chang also seems to have his reasons."

"You called me by my name." she sounded both shocked and pleased.

He raised an eyebrow. Was that all she had heard? How could her name have escaped his lips so easily? It seemed he was unconsciously ruining his own plan of not getting involved with her. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"If you really want to kill the Kushrenadas, you will have to focus on that."

"I am trying, but I can't even shoot straight!"

"You will when the time comes."

"Could you not help me with my practice?" Relena saw him frown and look away. He seemed to be having an inner argument. She did not understand… He had helped her before so why not now? Was it because Wufei had insinuated that they were a couple? "Well, I guess it's better that I practice alone." She sounded bitter, though she tried not to, and had to change the subject before either of them had the time to question the reasons why. "So… How did you become a bounty hunter?"

He turned back to her, and it was as if he were seeing her for the first time. His feelings were mixed and he could not decide whether he should or should not tell her about his life. She had shared something about hers with him, but she had done it because she had wanted to. He was not ready to talk about his past with anyone, so he simply stood up, grabbed his hat and walked out without saying a word.

Relena looked down, fighting back tears, but quickly looked back up as Heero returned in an obvious hurry. She stared at him wide-eyed and could not conjure up the words to ask him what had happened. Thankfully, he seemed to read her mind.

"It's a shootout." He said grabbing a shotgun that stood against the wall by the door. "Stay here. Lock all windows and doors. I'll go find Barton and Chang." He loaded the gun, ready to leave but stopped. Something was wrong.

Relena stood up, suddenly filled with determination and pulled out her pistol. "I'm coming with you."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here's another chapter. I seem to have found a rhythm, let's hope it lasts 'til this is finished. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter VIII

**CHAPTER VIII**

Heero glared menacingly at her, but instead of the change of mind and apology he expected she glared back at him with determination. He felt his blood boil and he could count in one hand how many times that had happened, he was a master of his own temper, but that girl always seemed to disturb his control. That realization angered him even more.

"Fine." He barked at her.

Relena smiled, though her heart felt like it was about to burst. She followed him outside, releasing the breath she had been unconsciously holding. The town seemed to have been divided, the gang in the saloon against the gang in the brothel. The main street was the war zone and anyone who dared invade it or approach too much would be dead.

They would have to stay away from the main street. Heero frowned. Their only choice was to cross the town from the outside, hiding behind the buildings. He signaled her to follow him and keep an eye on their backs; he hoped she could do it.

"Any idea where they might be?" she whispered as they reached the back of the first house.

"I would start by the gunsmith." He answered, though he did not believe they were there. "We'll have to be fast when moving from one house to the other. If you feel like shooting, even blindly, do it."

She nodded. Only three more houses separated them from the gunsmith, but they would have to cross the street. Relena tried not to think about it just yet.

Heero leaned back against the wall and peeked around the corner. He did not like shooting a man in the back, but there was another life at stake, he was not alone anymore, so he decided to make an exception. As fast as he could, he jumped out of cover and fired.

"Go. Now!" he shouted.

Relena crouched and ran. She heard the man scream as he fell, clutching his hip, and saw another man come running to check on him. When Heero fired again she was already behind the second house, and he quickly caught up with her. He examined her briefly with his eyes, to make sure she was not wounded, and then started reloading the shotgun.

A door, a couple steps from where they were, suddenly opened and an irate man walked out, he looked surprised to find them there and it took him a moment to reach for his gun. That moment was all Relena needed to raise her pistol and fire three quick shots. Trembling, she watched the enemy bleed out. Only Heero's hand on her shoulder was able to bring her out of her stupor.

He pulled her behind him and turned her around so her back was against his. "Pistol ready, mind blank, eyes open."

"Right." She nodded, and they walked slowly towards the next alley.

There was one man sitting against the wall, his eyes were open, but he was obviously dead. They hurried to the third house and took deep breaths before preparing to cross to the fourth house. Most of the shooters had probably been defeated for the noise had died down significantly. With that thought in mind, Heero leaned over to check the alley for enemies. He saw no one, but – just as he was about to tell Relena to go – a shot came whizzing over his head, forcing him to recoil.

Relena held his shirt, her expression both worried and scared. He pushed her hand away not knowing how to deal with her concern. "I'll fire. You run."

She watched him put down the shotgun and pull out his twin revolvers. He raised them, closing his eyes for a second as he calculated the approximate point the shot had come from. Then he met her eyes – she had picked up the shotgun – and they exchanged nods.

Heero jumped out of cover firing both guns at the same time and as fast as he could manage. Relena ran as soon as he started shooting and reached cover safely. He followed her closely, enemy fire barely missing him. Their next step was to cross the street, it was dangerous and required planning, but they had no time.

"How are we going to do this?"

"We'll just… do it." Heero turned back to her as he finished reloading his revolvers and took back the shotgun. "Remember what I told you?"

"Pistol ready, mind blank, eyes open." She whispered.

"Good." He checked the alley quickly, it was empty. "Let's go."

They walked slowly. Heero paid attention to everything while Relena struggled to hear anything other than her own heart. She mentally cursed herself for shaking, she would never shoot straight like that.

As they reached the end of the alley, a shooter spotted them from the window of the brothel across the street and he gave a shout to his companion. The man approached them ready to fire. Heero pushed Relena towards the porch of the house on their left where a couple wooden crates could provide her with cover. He jumped to the right, in time to avoid the bullet, and fired once before falling on the saloon's porch. The shot hit the enemy's right leg, but the man stood up on his left one and kept firing, he seemed to have lost his mind.

Partially covered by the railing, Heero waited for the man to run out of bullets, but a scream from the brothel suddenly reached their ears and, as the man turned towards the sound, Heero was able to finish him. He then reloaded the shotgun and stood up. 'Stay there' he whispered, hoping Relena could read his lips, and headed to the brothel.

"Heero." Someone said as soon as he crossed the threshold, and Trowa Barton appeared from behind an old couch.

"Where's Chang?" he asked.

"I lost him near the warehouse. We should go back and find him."

"You go ahead. I'll go get Relena, and we'll meet you there."

He crossed the street again. No shots sounded so he assumed the shootout was finally over. Significantly more relaxed, he reached the porch of the general store, where Relena had been hiding, but there was no sign of her. He felt like his heart had stopped. If something had happened to her…

"Is it safe out there, sir?" the shopkeeper peeked at him from the slightly open door.

"Have you seen a young blonde woman?"

"No, sir. I have not."

"Thank you." He nodded absent-mindedly. Maybe she had returned to Wufei's house.

Hoping that the effort would clear his mind, he ran to the house. By the time he reached his destination though, he was not only more strained, he felt like he was about to burst. Relena was indeed there, standing at the porch. When she saw him, the worry in her eyes turned to guilt and anxiety.

"Heero, I can explain." She had seen the relief in his eyes, but it had been almost instantly replaced by anger. "Where are you going?"

"I need to be alone." He started walking towards Raven, hoping that riding might do what running had not. He had never felt so angry, so frustrated. Those unknown feelings her disappearance evoked made him feel out of place, out of control. "What are you doing?"

"Would you, please, let me explain?"

He stopped then and turned to her, enraged. "Go back to that house and stay there until I come back." He pointed to Wufei's house as he spoke. "I should never have let you accompany me."

"I just wanted to help!"

"You don't listen to a word I say."

"I can explain!" she approached him. "You had just left and I heard a scream. It was obviously a child's…"

Relena looked down for a moment as she spoke, it was hard sustaining Heero's angry gaze. When she looked back up, something had changed in his eyes and then, before she could finish her story, he was kissing her.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **A fast and tense chapter with an irritated and impulsive Heero... What else can I say? Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter IX

**CHAPTER IX**

She felt his lips against hers, gentle yet firm, but – before the shock had worn off completely – he pulled back. He looked even more shocked than she did, his eyes darted to the floor and he frowned. Then he met her eyes again as if about to say something, but at the last minute he failed. Relena reached out to him, but he stepped back.

"Heero…" she tried.

"I…" he interrupted. "I should go look for Barton."

"I'll come with you."

Heero did not have the strength to protest. He had tried to stay away from Relena and ended up kissing her. Why? Why had he done that? How could she mess with his self-control like that? He needed to figure out what to do before something worse happened.

They had not yet reached the saloon when they spotted Barton walking in their direction, he was being followed closely by Chang. They stopped and waited for them. A few working-women waved at Heero from the brothel's balcony, Relena frowned at them.

"Don't listen to them. They say they'll give you a discount for whatever reason, but it is a lie." The shopkeeper approached them. "Ah, I see you've found her, sir. Hello, miss."

"Hello." Relena smiled politely at him.

"Would you be interested in buying some goods? We've just received a shipment straight from London."

"No, sir. But thank you."

The man shrugged and walked back into his shop, just as the others halted in front of them. Wufei's once white clothes were now grey with dust. Trowa was carrying a wooden box, he frowned – sensing the uneasy atmosphere – but made no comments.

"What happened?" it was Heero who first broke the silence.

"They set the warehouse on fire." Wufei said.

"But Chang managed to save a box of dynamite before it blew up." Trowa added raising the box in front of their eyes.

"We should go back to planning then. We leave to L2 early in the morning."

"Is it far from here?" Relena asked.

"A couple days. We'll camp." Trowa gave her a small gentle smile.

She smiled back gratefully. She knew she had to be present at the planning, but all she wanted was to excuse herself and find a place where she could sit, in silence, and wonder about what had happened and the mystery that was Heero. He had not even heard her entire explanation. Maybe he thought she had invented it. She would have to tell him again later.

* * *

The sun had not risen yet and they were already mounting their horses. Heero watched as Relena approached a little boy, who stood by the stable doors, and kneeled in front of him. They talked for a couple of minutes and she patted him on the head before rejoining the group. He remembered her mentioning a child's scream right before he interrupted her with that inappropriate kiss. She had not been lying then.

"You did not listen to the entire explanation." She whispered, as if she had been reading his mind, and mounted her horse.

"You saved the boy. Fine." He whispered back and moved on to the front of the line.

Relena huffed in frustration. "What is his problem?"

"He only needs time, miss." Trowa commented letting his horse walk beside hers as they left the stables.

"Please, call me Relena. And I doubt time will make much of a difference."

"Trust me, it will."

Trowa moved back to the end of the line. No one seemed to be interested in chitchat and so she was left to her own thoughts as well as the extraordinary scenery. Having spent all her life locked in her father's property, she found the world fascinating. They all saw the wonder in her eyes and the eventual smile on her lips, but Heero found it most distracting. He caught himself staring more than once, luckily Trowa seemed to be the only one to notice.

"Will we be stopping for lunch?" Relena asked when the sun was already high up in the sky. Her question stirred a discussing between Heero and Wufei.

"I'm in favor." Trowa opined, he knew that – in the end – that discussion was not about whether or not they should stop for lunch, it was about who would be giving the orders. He had seen far too many discussions between those two.

"We should stop." Heero agreed, and so did Chang however reluctantly.

They stopped for little over an hour and ate quickly, in complete and utter silence. It annoyed Relena how those men could be so close and yet so distant. Was her presence the problem? She did not think so. They had ridden in a posse together. Should they not have a lot of things to talk about? She could only wonder.

When the meal was over, they all seemed relieved to get back on the road. Heero was worried, they were crossing a dangerous area – known for its wolf and cougar attacks – and they had to make it to a safe camping site before the night fell. He shared his concerns with Trowa, who had an extensive knowledge of wild animals, and he believed a strong fire should be enough to hold the predators at bay. Wufei did not look at all concerned, and his selfish ways assured Heero that he did not have the makings of a great leader.

"Winner seemed to think he was only testing me to make sure I played my part flawlessly."

"Well…" Trowa looked thoughtful. "Quatre can read people better than anyone. Why else would Chang disagree with you on everything?"

"You honestly think he might be helping me?"

"In his own way… Yes, I do." He met Heero's frown with a blank face. "And you know what else I think? I think it's time you let go of the past and move on."

"I'm good at what I do, Barton. Why should I stop now?"

"Remember when I was going through a hard time and you told me to follow my heart?"

"Act on your emotions." Heero corrected, he was no romantic and would have no one say otherwise.

"Yes, that's right." Trowa looked serious, but there was an angry light in his eyes. "A good leader does not give advice he does not follow himself."

With a discreet snort, Heero moved back to the front of the line. He did not care whether Chang was trying to help him or really just competing for the leadership, he would keep seeing it as a contest and keep acting accordingly. As for Relena, he would have to think about it. Trowa did have a point.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the delay. Real life has finally caught up with me (or rather ran over me...). The next two chapters will be a little short, mainly character interaction. Chapter X is already written and will be up soon and then chapter XI will be the attack on L2. That'll be a longer and more exciting chapter, I assure you, so bear with me. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter X

**CHAPTER X**

"Your wife really believes that?" Wufei could not hide his indignation. "That women should have the right to vote and work outside the house, like men?" he waved his pipe angrily as he spoke, his face half hidden by the shadows. "That's preposterous."

"She believes these ideas will spread and one day all women in the country will join forces to fight for their rights." Trowa touched the tip of his cigarette to the fire, lighting it.

Wufei laughed. "I thought you, of all men, would be capable of controlling your wife, Barton. Women have to be kept on a tight rein. It sounds like yours is on the loose."

"I wouldn't keep my horse on a tight rein, Chang. Freedom is all we have in this God forsaken land… Why deny it to our women?"

"For power, of course. The ones who hold the right to freedom are the ones who will get the final word."

"I should've known you'd say that." He took a drag of his cigarette.

Wufei turned to Heero, who was staring at the fire lost in his own thoughts. "Yuy, what are your thoughts?"

"Concerning?" he frowned, displeased with the interruption.

"Women's right to vote."

"They are just as affected by political decisions as we are, it is only fair that they be allowed to vote."

"But surely you would not hire a woman to do a man's job."

"If she's good at it. Why not?" Heero shrugged, wishing for nothing more than returning to his own problems.

"The right question, mister, is why should we not be allowed." Relena had held back for as long as she could, she was just enraged by Wufei's opinion. She recognized his right to have a different opinion, however wrong, but she also wanted to make him see things from a woman's point of view. "We are people too! We have thoughts and feelings and our own opinion about this world you men have claimed for yourselves."

"Your opinion does not concern us."

"Only when it comes to the house?" she asked angrily. "Well, I think a woman would rule this country a lot better than any man and I also think you know that." He stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "You, men, are afraid of what we can do, that's why you take away our rights."

"Maybe it's time we took away your right to think as well." Wufei spat back.

Relena could almost feel her blood boiling, but – instead of giving him a well-deserved and hate-filled answer – she simply stood up and walked away. Heero's eyes searched for Trowa's, hoping that the man would go after her, but Trowa was finishing his cigarette and did not even seem to notice Heero's stare. He stood up and followed Relena, he wanted to keep his distance, but it was far too dangerous for her to go for a walk alone in the wild.

He found her not far from the camp site. The moonlight gave her hair a silver glow as she petted her horse. Sunny, if he remembered right, that's what she had named him. Heero was surprised to realize that even back then, when he barely knew her, he had been careful to choose a horse that was docile and experienced, the perfect horse for a beginner. Perhaps, Trowa was wrong, and he had been acting on his emotions all along, only unconsciously.

"Have you come to mistreat me?" she asked, not looking at him.

Her words caught him off guard. Yes, he supposed he had been rude earlier and that was just not like him. He was cold, most of the time, but he never mistreated anyone.

"I'm sorry for that." If his words shocked or pleased her, he did not know. She still would not look at him. "You should not have let Chang win."

"I did not!" she finally turned around, incredulous.

"Yes, you did. You let him have the final word."

"Why is the final word so important? The winner of a discussion should be the one with the best arguments."

"Seems fair."

"Next time he and I have a discussion I shall name, you and Trowa, judge and jury."

"Then you already know who will win." He allowed a hint of a smile to grace his lips. It amused him how serious she could be about a little discussion.

"I know he would win. You, men, are all together in your plan to repress us."

"I never said that."

She gapped at him. Now that the anger she had been acting on had evaporated, she did not know what to say. "You mean…"

"Trowa and I share your opinion on the rights of women."

Relena smiled and restarted rubbing Sunny's neck. "It was really nice… what you said. I was…"

"Surprised?" he filled in for her.

"You're a bounty hunter." She tried to justify. "I'm sorry. It is wrong to judge."

"I don't blame you."

The smile returned to her face. "Consider us even."

Heero nodded. "We should go back."

"Will the horses be safe?"

"They can take care of themselves."

They walked side-by-side back to the camp. This time, Relena did not mind the silence, it was different, comfortable. She hoped that understanding they seemed to have reached would last until the end of their ordeal. Maybe even longer.


	11. Chapter XI

**CHAPTER XI**

L2 was not a big town, but it had been prosper once. It had a big saloon and a hotel where travelers used to lodge for the night before getting on the road again. Despite its prosperity, L2 was not considered important enough to receive a train station and so, as the trains became the most popular way of travelling, L2 was slowly forgotten until its inhabitants were forced to leave.

Now, the place had been invaded by a gang, probably one of the biggest in the entire country and yet they knew close to nothing about it. How did they make their money? Did they steal, kill or rob? Who was their leader? A man who could unite so many men must be either very popular or very dangerous. They had to be extremely careful.

"There's no movement inside the saloon." Heero lowered the binoculars and handed them to Trowa.

"No movement?" Trowa accepted the binoculars and looked through them. "I can't see anything from here."

They were lying on their stomachs on top of a hill, and Trowa's vision was being conveniently blocked by a bush. He handed the binoculars to Wufei and waited. After a few minutes, Wufei frowned and returned the binoculars to Heero.

"The vision from here isn't favorable… We can only see the back of the building. They might be at the front."

"You want to risk it, then?" Heero raised an eyebrow.

"This fella, whoever he is, cannot be that smart. There must be at least a dozen men inside that saloon."

"And if there are none?"

"Let's not argue now." Trowa interrupted.

"Why not make a secondary plan?" Relena suggested. "In case something goes wrong."

They continued glaring at each other for a moment, but accepted the idea. "We'll stick to the plan then." Wufei said smugly.

"And if there is no one in that saloon?" Heero questioned irritated.

"Then the explosion will attract their attention." Chang shrugged. "You wanted to be the leader… Think about something now, Yuy."

Heero gritted his teeth, but Relena's hand on his shoulder interrupted his murderous thoughts. He met her pleading eyes and nodded, his expression softening. This was not the moment to lose control, that just was not like him.

"I'll stay at the saloon and cover you while you flee." Trowa offered.

"Good." Heero nodded. "Relena and I will head to the stables. Chang, you head the opposite direction. Find a way to attract their attention so we can get to the center of the town and then find a way to join us. You too, Barton. We'll reunite there."

They all nodded and, in silence, proceeded to prepare the dynamite they would throw inside the saloon. Relena was not upset to be left out of the action, she had accepted she would never be a good shot. All she needed was to be good enough to execute the Kushrenadas, the rest she trusted Heero with, after all she was paying him and he was the best at what he did.

Quietly, they climbed down the hill until they were at the perfect distance to throw the explosives. They broke a couple windows on the upper floor and one on the first floor, backed away a few steps and waited, readying their weapons. The explosion was not strong enough to destroy the entire building, all they wanted was to kill all the men inside. Trowa was the first to bolt inside carrying his repeater, Heero and Relena followed with their handguns and Wufei brought the rear, shotgun in hand.

"Dammit, Chang." Trowa swore as he rushed to the window. There was not a single body. Heero had been right. "They're coming out of the brothel and the hotel… Hurry, before they see you!"

"Stay alive, Barton." Heero warned him sternly before grabbing Relena's hand and pulling her out.

Wufei exchanged a nod with him and followed the others through the back door. He turned right and ran, hoping no one would see him. When he reached the back of the general store the shots had started, he waited and listened. Thankfully, the others seemed to have attracted all the attention to themselves. Now, he had to find a way to create a distraction.

He looked around. The next building, if he remembered right, was the gunsmith, but he could not explode it… What if Howard was in there? They had come after him and the man would be of no use if he were dead. His gaze fell on the window right above his head. It was his only choice.

* * *

As they crossed the gap between the saloon and the stables, Heero fired a few times. Trowa had already started firing as well, and Relena saw five men fall before they were hiding behind the fence, but five men made no difference… There were at least thirty more running towards the saloon, in her eyes they looked like a real army. She noticed Heero's grip had moved from her hand to her waist as they ran and now, as he looked over the fence and listened, he seemed to have forgotten to let go of her.

"There's an abandoned wagon in the entrance… If we can make it there before Chang acts, we'll have a good chance."

"Are you sure we even have a chance?" she asked nervously.

He met her eyes, his expression unreadable, and finally let go of her to pull out his second revolver. "Trust me."

She gapped at the intensity and profundity of his gaze. Then, still unable to speak, she nodded and prepared herself.

"Once we've jumped this fence, we'll be inside the stables. Stay crouched the entire time." He instructed her.

"I'll be alright." She assured him. "Just focus on getting us there."

Heero nodded. "I will."

They climbed the fence and quickly jumped down at the other side. Trowa seemed to have killed a couple more men, he did not have much time to shoot between the hail of bullets. Relena hoped he was alright. Heero stood up slowly, but as soon as he peeked over the fence they heard the bullets flying and rebounding around them.

"They're more numerous, but not more skillful." He told Relena's scared wide-eyed gaze. "I'll shoot. You run. Hide behind the wheel so they can't hit your legs."

She nodded even though her legs felt like lead and she highly doubted she would make it that far. "Count to three?"

It was his turn to nod. He raised his revolvers, now reloaded, and met her worried eyes with a confident look. "One… Two…"

Relena raised her pistol, her heart was so loud in her ears she barely heard the "three", she saw him stand up and ran as fast as she could while crouched. She was reaching the wagon, when she saw the last man fall down. Heero was running towards her. One of the men stood up, holding his bleeding shoulder and aimed. Without thinking, Relena fired. The man fell back on the ground, his gun flying from his hand, the shot had destroyed his knee completely.

"Heero…" she whispered when he reached the wagon's other wheel.

"Don't look." He told her and, mercifully, finished the man. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She nodded even though she felt sick.

He was about to say something when they heard the explosion. It was the distraction. Heero grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. They ran out of their hiding place and into the open, shooting desperately, until they had reached the center of the town where a big fountain stood surrounded by a wall tall enough for them to crouch behind. They had hit a couple more men during their dash, and Trowa also seemed to have killed a few more. Relena guessed there were about fifteen left and, for the first time that day, she had hope.

* * *

When the general store exploded, Wufei was breaking into the warehouse. He could not remember the last time he had run like that and was having a hard time regaining his breath, but he did not stop. The things he found inside marveled him, there were so many weapons. They were of all kinds and most were automatic or semi-automatic, the best a man could ever lay his hands on. In one corner, a pile of big rectangular boxes caught his attention. He peeked inside one of them. Gatling guns. Trowa would love these.

Crouched by one of the windows he analyzed his position. Half the enemy's men were down. Heero and the woman had made it to the center and most of the attention was focused on them now. He could not see the general store and his vision of the saloon was blocked by wooden containers abandoned in front of the warehouse. They were going to provide him with cover so he could make it to the meeting point safely.

With the butt of his shotgun, he broke what was left of the glass and stepped through the window, running to the point where the boxes and containers formed an angle. He could see practically nothing, not his enemies and not his allies, that made him anxious. For a couple of minutes he listened, trying to find a pattern in the coming and going shots. Finally, he decided to run to the next pile of boxes sure that he had still not been spotted.

As soon as he started running, he saw a few of his enemies and two of the men pointed their fingers at him, looking surprised. They did not even make a move to shoot him. Wufei was half way to the boxes when a third man saw him. He was an angry looking fellow with a huge scar descending from his right eyebrow to his left cheek. That man did not hesitate.

Breathing hard, Wufei sat against the boxes. His hands moved of their own accord, trying to ease the pain and stop the blood from flowing. He realized then he had dropped his gun, but did not have the strength to be angry, all he felt were waves of heat and the cold sweat on his forehead.

* * *

"Barton has stopped shooting…" Heero hissed under his breath, ducking instinctively as the bullets flew their way.

"Maybe he's coming here." Relena offered an explanation. "Or maybe he ran out of bullets."

"Or maybe he's dead."

She stared at him, surprised that he could even suggest that. He did not notice her glare, and she looked away angrily. That was when she saw him. Wufei was running towards them, he was trying to get to a pile of abandoned boxes, when a bullet hit him right above the hip. Relena felt like it was happening in slow motion. She crawled to the other side of the fountain to check on his condition.

Heero watched incredulously as Relena crawled away from him. What the hell was she doing? Then she started waving and shouting. He searched for her interlocutor and, when he finally found him, he doubted they would make it out alive. Wufei had been shot, had lost his gun and seemed to be on the brink of fainting.

"Look at me! Stay awake!" Relena shouted at him, desperately. Heero doubted he could hear her.

Then something caught their attention. Far behind the enemies, the saloon's doors opened and Trowa walked out escorted by two armed men. His empty hands were up in surrender. Heero swore under his breath and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. Relena watched teary eyed as his gaze wondered around the floor. At least ten more enemies had appeared and they were now completely surrounded.

"Ya' never know when to give up, Yuy." A voice interrupted their thoughts.

Relena could feel the fear spreading through her body. They had been defeated.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And I've finally managed to write a longer chapter. This is probably one of my favorites. I had to actually draw the town and a scheme of the scene before I wrote it down, but it was fun. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter XII

**CHAPTER XII**

Relena snuck closer against the wall, she wondered what they would do to them… Would they be tortured? Executed? What about her? The others were all men, but she… She turned to Heero, confused. He was smiling, bitterly, but smiling. Then, without letting go of his revolvers, he raised both hands and stood up.

"Duo Maxwell…" he gave a half laugh, half snort. "I should've known."

"Yeah…" the gang leader said thoughtfully, and Heero lowered his hands. "Ya' probably should've."

She finally stood up, too curious to remain hidden, and met the even more curious eyes of a long haired young man. He pointed at her, then looked at Heero, gapping, and back at her. Relena felt horribly self-conscious, she knew her cheeks were red and she had to make an effort not to fidget. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Heero…" she touched his elbow. "Wufei is…"

He nodded at her and promptly turned to the other man. "Maxwell."

"I know." He nodded and ordered something to the men that accompanied him. They rushed away. "Dr. Po'll take good care of him. I'm sure you remember her."

Heero nodded, and Duo turned to Trowa, who had just arrived, with a wide smile. He brushed his hands against one another in excitement. "Come. I wanna show ya' around." He motioned to them to follow him.

Trowa looked at Heero in time to see him give an exasperated sigh, then he met Relena's eyes and smiled. She seemed confused and definitely curious, he knew she wanted to know more about Heero – probably everything there was to know - but it would still take some time before she managed to break into his fortress. Trowa wanted her to know she had his support.

"Here's the hotel." Duo pointed to the building, the biggest of the town. "We've been restoring it. We'll find you good rooms later."

"Restoring it? Don't tell me you intend to put this town back on the map."

"Why not? I was born and raised here, and it used to be a prosper town before the line avoided it all together." They continued walking. "The stables and the saloon you've already seen, I'm sure…" he joked. "So we'll head the other way. This! This is the sheriff's office."

"It's rather small for a sheriff's office." Relena observed.

"It's surely not as big as the offices from the bigger towns you come from, miss. But it used to be enough for us back in the day."

"And who's going to be the sheriff?"

"Well…" Duo scratched his head as he thought. "Maybe one of you, old fellas, could be." He patted Trowa on the shoulder, and Heero snorted. "You never told me what you're up to these days."

"I have a ranch somewhere between L1 and L5… Don't think I'll be a sheriff anytime soon."

"Settled down, huh? What about you, partner?" this time he patted Heero's shoulder.

"I'm looking for Howard. I heard he was here."

"Still discreet and impersonal… Howard's left. We ain't seen him in a while." Duo watched his expression harden. "But if it is his weapons you're looking for they're still here. Some of them at least…"

"I'd like to see them then."

"They're at the warehouse. This way."

They turned around and walked the other way, carefully avoiding the bodies still strewn all about the place. Duo continued to point the buildings and talk about their restoration. The saloon and, especially, the general store would now have to be rebuilt, but he was not angry. He laughed when he talked about it, and Relena was already starting to like him, his high spirits and talkative ways were a relief when she thought about the taciturnity of her other companions.

"Here we are."

They watched him pull a bundle of keys out of his pocket, he fumbled with them until he finally opened the heavy sliding door. Inside, piles of boxes and containers were suddenly illuminated by the sun light, each box carried a number that identified the weapons inside. Trowa was the first to walk in, he was a firearms specialist and becoming a rancher had not lessened his enthusiasm.

"Well, at least some things never change." Duo followed him with a smile and a shrug. "What do you need new weapons for anyways?"

"That ain't my story to tell." Heero walked past him, leaving Relena to tell him her story if she wanted to.

"Gatling guns…" Trowa whispered when he was close enough to hear, he sounded anxious.

"We'll need a wagon if we're going to take one."

"What else will we need?" he looked around until his eyes fell on Duo. "You think Maxwell will want in?"

Heero snorted. The answer was obvious. He turned and saw Relena laugh at something Duo had said, he could not help but frown. Trowa walked past him looking slightly amused.

"Maybe we should go check on Wufei." He said loud enough so everyone could hear. "We can negotiate later. Yuy?"

Heero gave an agreeing nod.

They walked out into the hot afternoon air and turned left, walking past a big manor towards a small wooden house with a sign above the door. "General practice" it read. Relena lingered in the back, staring at the manor, it looked like it had been built recently and they were not restoring it.

"Isn't that where the church used to be?" Trowa asked Duo when they stopped to wait for her.

"They never rebuilt it after the fire. Then some rich business fella came around and built that." He practically spat the last word. "We'll be sure to blow it up and build a new church."

The rest of the way was made in silence. When they reached the general practice, a tall sharp eyed woman was already waiting for them at the door. Heero recognized her immediately and so did Trowa. She greeted them with a smile while drying her newly washed hands on a grimy piece of cloth.

"He dead yet?" Duo asked her jokingly.

"He'll live." She said. "But you owe me. I've had more than my fair share of insults from that one."

"I'm sure ya' did."

"Thank God for chloroform." She laughed, then turned to the others still smiling. "How are you, boys?"

"Living." Heero answered with a polite smile of his own.

"That's good." Unfazed by his coldness, she met Trowa's eyes without losing her smile. "How's Catherine?"

"She's great." He smiled fondly. Niceties seemed to be over.

Relena did not like being ignored, but this time she was happy just watching that woman. A woman like she wanted to be, confident, strong and respectable. "Who is she?" she asked Heero in a whisper.

"She's the doctor. Sally Po."

"A woman… doctor…" she was amused.

Sally led Duo and Trowa inside. Heero sat on a chair that had been abandoned next to the door, he watched as Relena's eyes wandered and he wondered what she saw. The town was a mess and, even though Duo's men had already started getting rid of the bodies, the sand remained stained red and the air dominated by the metallic smell of death.

"Thank you." He said suddenly, and surprise took over her face.

"What for?"

"You might've saved me there." He motioned towards the wagon with his head.

"I highly doubt that, but…" she met his eyes and her disdainful smile was replaced by a gentle one. "You're welcome." Her voice was a mere whisper. They held each other's gaze for a long time, both not knowing how to say what was on their minds.

Duo walked out then followed by Trowa and, without a word, they all headed back to the hotel. "I have a proposal, Heero."

"I thought you would have."

They walked inside and past the reception desk into a meeting room where a large table stood alone surrounded only by matching chairs. Duo closed the door behind them, circled the table and sat at the head, leaning backwards enough to throw his booted feet on the surface. The others did not move.

"We'll give you a list of the weapons we need." Trowa commented.

"We'll also need a wagon." Heero agreed with a nod.

"I'll give ya' all you want…" he looked upwards thoughtfully. "I'll even lend you my men, if you agree to become sheriff once we have put the town back on its feet."

Heero stared at him. He did not want to be sheriff, he had never been responsible for anyone's life but his own and he preferred it that way. "I will consider it."

"Come on, partner." Duo straightened himself in the chair. "Don't ya' think it's time to move on?"

"I think becoming sheriff would be more of a retrocession."

"What do you think, Trowa?"

"I think we don't have a choice." He leaned against the table. "We ain't got nothing worth those weapons… And we need them."

Frustrated, Heero sighed and took off his hat, running a hand through his messy hair. He had heard the same words from Trowa on their way to L2… That he should move on. The man had a point. "Fine." He said finally.

"We have a deal?" Duo offered him his hand and a smile.

"We have a deal." They shook hands.

"Come, now. Let me take you to your rooms."

They all turned to leave except for Relena. She grabbed Heero's wrist and met his eyes in a silent apology. He shook his head dismissively and gave her a rare, genuine smile. Shocked, Relena watched him go. Then she could not help but smile herself and run to catch up with them. She could not wait to see her room.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So had you guessed Duo would be the gang leader? Well, I know chapters are not as long as we'd like but they're still longer than the first ones. We've still got a long way to go, so I'll keep improving. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter XIII

**CHAPTER XIII**

"Yuy!" Wufei burst into the room where they had been playing poker for the last hour. He was clutching his side, his face even paler than usual after the effort of walking all the way from the general practice to the brothel. "How could you allow a woman to…"

"Chang, Dr. Po used to work in L1. She is the best there is… and you were in no condition to argue."

"That's exactly why you, as our leader, should take my personal opinions into account when making a decision in my stead."

"I took your opinions into consideration and I decided you needed immediate medical care. Sally was the only doctor in town."

"You could have stitched me up yourself."

"I'm not a doctor, Chang."

"There you are." Sally Po appeared at the door then, she looked collected and not the least bit irritated even though her patient had run away. She approached Wufei and tried to remove the hand he was using to cover his wound. "Look what you've done, you stupid man."

He was bleeding again and glaring at her. Duo thought he looked like a stubborn child and could not help but laugh. Suddenly, Chang's anger was focused on him and it was by sheer luck that Trowa and Sally were able to seize him before he jumped at Maxwell's throat. Thankfully, he was still weak and they were able to easily drag him out of the room and back to the general practice.

"That was a close one." Duo resumed laughing, nervously this time.

"Maybe we should have respected his opinion…" Relena commented worriedly.

"Sally will do him good. The bastard's been misogy-something ever since his wife died."

"It's misogynic." Heero corrected him.

"He was married?" Relena choked on her breath, surprised.

"We don't know the whole story…" Duo started. "All we know is that he had a wife in China, he had to leave her when he came to America, and one day he received a letter informing him of her death…"

"We don't know if that was what the letter said." Heero reprimanded him.

"Maybe she left him for another man." Relena said thoughtfully. "That would justify his change of heart."

They stared at her. It was a possibility they had never considered and yet it did sound a lot more plausible.

"Why would anyone leave Chang? He's so adorable." Duo laughed at his own joke, but it did not cheer the others. Maybe they had not understood… "So… Any idea how will we get Kushrenada?"

"If we knew anyone who had any idea of the insides of his mansion…" Heero thought aloud.

"I think I might know someone..." Relena commented shyly, surprising them both yet again. "I have a friend…" she started when neither of them spoke. "His father was the engineer who projected and built Kushrenada's mansion. They were old friends."

"How did you become friends with this fella?"

"Well, his father was friends with my father as well."

"So, your father was friends with a friend of Kushrenada's?"

"That's irrelevant." Heero cut in, eyeing Maxwell sternly. "Can you take us to him?"

"I'm not sure." She shook her head, an apologetic look on her face.

Silence took over the room. Relena looked out the window, if only her father had allowed her to at least visit her friend… She had asked him for permission once and he had denied it. He had said their friends live too far in…

"L4! He lives in L4."

"L4?" Duo turned to Heero. "That's not far from here."

"Who lives in L4?" Trowa walked back in and pulled up a chair.

"A friend of Relena's whose father built Kushrenada's mansion."

"Are we going there?"

Heero met their expecting eyes and shrugged. "Why not?"

"If we head out now, we should be back before sunset."

"Sounds good."

They all stood up almost at the same time. Duo asked a couple of his subordinates to ready their horses while they fetched their weapons. Relena thought it was amazing how the braided man could be friends with his men and still be respected by them, his energy was so much different than the confident tranquility that surrounded Heero.

The ride to L4 took a little over two hours. It was the biggest town they had ever seen. The streets had been paved and their horses' hooves clip-clopped against the slick stone; the houses had been built close to one another, separated only by narrow alleys where a horse could barely fit; there was a small theater on the main street, a huge general store and an even bigger train station.

After hitching their horses near the blacksmith, they headed to the saloon on the main street. It was as big as a hotel, decorated fancily with red velvet and dark oak. The pianist was already playing, but it was still too early for customers. A woman was sweeping the floor with a broom, and the barkeeper leaned against the counter puffing on a cigarette.

"Excuse me, sir." Relena said quietly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, miss." He snapped out of his reverie and quickly reached for an ashtray to put out his cigarette. "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Mr. Winner."

"Didn't you hear? He died…" her disappointment must have been obvious for he rapidly added, his strong accent no longer under control: "But his son still lives in the big house at the end of the street! Maybe he could help ya'."

"Oh, yes. He's the one I'm looking for." She rewarded him with a bright smile. "Is the house easy to find?"

"Quite. Ask anyone, miss, and they'll be able to point it out to ya'."

"Much obliged." She made a quick curtsy, put a couple coins on the counter and left.

The others were waiting for her outside. Heero had been keeping an eye on her, she had felt his gaze on her through the window, but Duo and Trowa did not even notice her return, they were engaged in some conversation about modern guns.

"How did it go?" Heero asked her.

"He still lives here." She pointed forward. "At the end of the street."

He nodded, and they started walking in the direction she had pointed. The others followed unconsciously, continuing their discussion as they went. They seemed to be disagreeing on something for their voices grew louder, but neither Reelena nor Heero bothered paying attention. She was focused on her task of finding the house, proud to be the one leading the way for once, and he was staring at the back of her head, lost in his own thoughts.

When they stopped in front of the big white house, with the "W" of Winner engraved above the door, Duo and Trowa fell silent.

"Is that where we were headed? The entire time?" Duo asked skeptically.

Relena frowned at him. "Yes, why?"

"Because we know the guy who lives here." Trowa explained.

"You know Quatre? How?"

"Well… He used to ride with us."

"Quatre? Ride with you? Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth." They all turned to the door, where a blonde young man, dressed in an elegant suit, stood watching them. He opened a wide smile when he saw their surprised faces and climbed down the few steps to give Relena a hug. "How are you, 'Lena? It's been a long time."

"So it has." She smiled back. "Why did you not tell me?"

"That I had joined a gang?"

"We weren't exactly a gang…" Duo complained.

Quatre turned to him then and gave him a hug as well. "I know." He said. "We were something else… Something special. How I miss those times." His smile became nostalgic then, but he waved the memories away. "Come in, please. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."

They walked inside hesitantly, admiring the spacious hall covered in marble stone and gold. Duo looked down at his filthy boots and met Heero's eyes, they seemed to be thinking pretty much the same thing, but Quatre urged them forward. Relena led the way into a fancily decorated sitting room, she ran her fingers over the cream colored loveseat before taking her seat. The furniture was obviously European. Heero and Duo sat on the nearest armchairs while Trowa and Quatre exchanged a word at the door.

A servant walked in then, carrying a silver tray, and offered them tea. Relena accepted it, the others refused, but he left the tray on the coffee table anyways. Quatre thanked him and, after pouring himself a cup, finally walked up to his own chair. Trowa sat beside Relena on the loveseat.

"So… What brings you here? And together most of all."

"It's my father." Relena lost her smile. "He's been murdered."

"I heard." Quatre said softly. "I am truly sorry… Mr. Darlian was a great man."

"He was." She nodded lightly. "That's why I need your help. My father must be avenged."

"You know who…"

She nodded. "The Kushrenadas."

"The Kushrenadas…" Quatre chewed on his lower lip worriedly. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

He took a sip of his tea, eyeing them thoughtfully, and smiled gently. "You want the blueprints."

"We'd also be honored if you joined us." Heero told him seriously. "You've always been the best strategist between us."

Trowa and Duo agreed with a nod. Quatre's smile widened. "Then I'll be happy to join you." He checked his pocket watch and stood up. "We have time for lunch, I presume."

"Yes, but we'd like to return to L2 before sunset."

"We shall not be long." He gestured for them to follow him to the dinning room.

"You don't happen to, perhaps, have a wagon do you?" Duo asked as he crossed the door.

"I do have a wagon at the stables. Why?"

"Let's just say we have a very heavy gift for Kushrenada…"


	14. Chapter XIV

**CHAPTER XIV**

"Look, look!" Duo whispered as they all mounted their horses. "He's leaving!"

Wufei walked out of the general practice followed closely by Sally who seemed to be giving him some sort of recommendation. They halted at the edge of the porch and exchanged a few words. She laughed, and he looked surprised, a hint of a blush tinting his cheeks. It was enough to send Duo into a fit of laughter.

"You're gonna get in trouble."Quatre warned him, but there was a smile on his face.

"He already is." Trowa commented, lining his horse with theirs.

"I haven't forgotten what you did a couple days ago." Chang glared at the braided man as he climbed on the driver's seat of the wagon.

"What? I did nothing!" Duo returned the glare with a wide-eyed look, feigning innocence.

Wufei stood up growling, but Heero stepped in before he could do anything else. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking up at the Chinese man from his worn out saddle.

"Well enough."

"You rather not pass out on us, or Quatre and I will be as close to doctors as you'll get this time."

"Just 'cause I recognized you as our leader, Yuy, it doesn't give you the right to mock me."

"I don't mock, Chang. Duo does." He maintained his monotone, his eyes as serious as they could possibly be. Finally, Wufei broke his stare and sat down, taking the reins.

They rode out of L2 with the sun rising slowly beside them. A party of fifteen men plus Relena, yet Heero suspected their disadvantage was enormous. None of them knew the exact numbers, but it was said all over the plains that Treize Kushrenada's personal guard counted with at least eighty or ninety men. Some even said he had over a hundred guns protecting his back. If those stories were true, they would probably die before it was over. Life was cheap, especially his own, but Relena's… She deserved a lot better than to die at the hands of Kushrenada's men.

She looked at him then and smiled her disarming smile as if she knew what he was thinking. He gave Raven a nudge and rode ahead before he ended up smiling back. It would not do for him to show weakness in front of Duo's men and especially not in front of Wufei. The other man was always looking for motives to question his leadership.

Around noon, they stopped to rest and a few men gathered around the wagon to discuss about lunch and whether or not there was time to hunt. Trowa asked Heero for a decision and, in the end, they were all grabbing their weapons and striding towards the open field. Eight men stayed behind to guard the wagon and the horses, Quatre and Wufei among them. Duo's remaining men headed west chatting cheerfully among themselves. Relena accompanied Heero, Trowa and Duo who headed east towards Lake Victoria.

"Are you sure there are rabbits around here?" Duo asked Trowa when they had already been walking for some time without spotting anything.

"There are rabbits everywhere." He answered, obviously annoyed with the interruption. Silence and concentration were essential for hunting.

Relena admired the scenery. The grass was a yellowish color, almost golden, and it went on and on as far as the eye could see. A lonely tree could be seen once in a while, very few were much taller than the average man. The sky was blue and cloudless, but the wind was growing stronger and cooler. Suddenly, she saw a shadow move close to a tree, it was a deer. She reached for Heero's forearm excitedly, and her eyes sparkled. It was one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen.

It stared at them with wide frightened eyes. The others had walked ahead and were too far and distracted to see, but Heero did not call them nor reach for the rifle on his back as she had expected him to. He simply stood there beside her, a trace of a smile on his lips as he admired the sight. Feeling bold, Relena allowed her hand to wander downwards until it touched the back of his hand. Unexpectedly, he took her hand in his and held it. The deer bounded away.

"There!" Duo shouted somewhere in the distance, and two shots followed.

"Maxwell!" Trowa growled just as loudly. "Don't shout!"

"Now, you're shouting!"

"We should go." Heero whispered. "Before they kill each other."

"Or scare all animals." She chuckled.

* * *

At night, they sat around the fire eating what was left of the earlier hunt. Duo and Trowa had caught only one rabbit for the braided man had no patience for hunting as well as "an enormous difficulty keeping his mouth shut" according to Barton himself. No one seemed surprised by the 'revelation', especially not Duo's men who were far too busy preparing the deer and the three rabbits they had caught.

When they finished eating, Quatre pulled a violin from the back of the wagon and started playing a happy folk song. The men joked and clapped, some even stood up and started dancing. An older man started singing, and Trowa pulled a rusted harmonica out of his pocket and joined in. Duo offered Relena his hand, bowing clumsily, and she stood up giggling, made a curtsy of her own and accepted his hand. Wufei watched everything from the back of the wagon where he sat smoking his pipe.

"A man should not be alone…" he thought aloud.

"Do you miss her?" Heero, who was leaning against the side of the wagon, asked him quietly.

"Who? My wife? I guess I shouldn't call her that anymore…" he took a long drag, closing his eyes for a moment. "If I had been there, I would have killed her. Killed them both. Only blood can wash a man's honor."

"So I've heard."

"But it's you I was talking about." He did not even flinch at Heero's suspecting gaze, he had expected it. "Don't let my thoughtless words stop you from being with the girl. You've always been our leader, there's no questioning that."

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Chang. I don't pay that much mind to your words."

Wufei blew out smoke to hide his smile. "I just think you spend too much time in your own head. Maybe you should teach Maxwell to rationalize a little more before he acts or speaks as is more common."

Heero snorted. "He's hopeless. If I were you, I'd work on my patience instead."

The cold breeze met him as he walked, further away from the camp, towards the open field. Under the full moon and the starlit sky, he saw Raven approaching. They had allowed their horses to graze freely and recover from the long day's walk. He smiled when the mare nuzzled his cheek and ran a hand over her black forehead, sighing. Once, it had been just the two of them and things had been a lot simpler.

"You should not sneak up on an armed man." He said.

"I'm so… How did you know it was me?" Relena sounded just as incredulous as she felt. She had been so quiet, walking step by step, even holding her breath.

"I know your step."

"I made not a sound."

"Raven saw you. Once I knew someone was coming I need only look for it. It's impossible to be completely quiet."

"I guess it is."

She stood beside him, as he rubbed Raven's long neck, admiring the sky. The breeze was so deliciously cool she had to close her eyes to feel it, she wanted to feel it against every pore and every hair. Heero's heavy gaze was suddenly on her, but she forced her eyes to remain shut. It was an odd feeling at the start, both exciting and annoying, but, as she grew used to it, it felt just like the breeze against her skin.

"How can you be so mysterious?"

He snorted. "I'm not mysterious."

Relena gave him a look. "You're a bounty hunter and yet… 'He don't drink, don't smoke nor lay with whores.' Duo's words."

"Duo's words." He agreed and chuckled, looking amused. She watched surprised. "I was raised and trained to kill. They only need give me a name. I asked no questions. The organization was old and feared, but rotting on the inside. The younger members weren't satisfied and the elders refused to listen to their opinions, so they denounced the whole scheme. Most members were arrested or killed. I was shot, but managed to escape. Trowa found me and helped me. That's how I joined their posse."

"An assassin?" she frowned, pained by the revelation. She did not want to, but she felt sorry for him.

He did not look at her, seemingly lost in his own memories. Aside from Trowa, Quatre, Duo and Wufei, he had never shared his story with anyone. "When the posse broke up, I had to find a way to earn me a living… Killing and stalking are the only things I'm truly good at."

"That's not true." It was only when he turned to her with a frown that she realized what she had said. She barely knew him enough to… What would she say if he asked her what else he was good at? But he did not, he simply shook his head and looked away. Relena realized he must have been waiting for her to say something and silence had been her answer. "That's not very different from what a sheriff has to do." She said, finally, hoping it was not too late.

"No, I guess it ain't."

"You'll make a great sheriff."

"I hope you're right." He did not look at her, but there was sincerity in his voice and a touch of sadness that was almost imperceptible.

Relena watched him, pondering, and, at last, accepted there was nothing else she could do. It was a problem he needed to solve on his own. So she bid him goodnight and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For telling me."

He nodded, swallowing whatever he had wanted to say, and looked up at the sky. It was going to rain.


	15. Chapter XV

**CHAPTER XV**

When the first raindrops fell they were standing around the wagon watching the big white mansion with their binoculars, thunders sounded in the distance, but they saw no lightning. The road was deserted, so they did not even bother getting off it, and the horses were strangely calm, everything was strangely calm.

Heero frowned and Wufei turned to them with a grave look. "Smells like a trap."

"If it is, Trowa will back us up." Quatre assured them, nodding towards the wagon and the gatling gun it carried. They had sat together for hours that very morning, making plans for all possible situations, including a trap.

"It's too calm for it to be a trap." Heero commented lowering his binoculars. There was no tension in the air, the horses' tranquility was proof enough. "They've probably fled."

"That we did not consider." Duo complained.

"What do we do? Should we break in?" Quatre turned to Heero putting his own binoculars aside.

"We should probably check. Maybe they left someone behind who can give us information on their whereabouts."

* * *

The four little wooden houses destined for the family's servants were empty, they walked slowly past them as the rain grew thicker. One of the houses no longer had its door, another had only one broken window with tattered stained curtains that flew with the wind, a third had lost almost an entire wall and the broken wood boards were left to rotten on the wet ground.

"A pity." Quatre said as they walked over it. "Must have been a beautiful place once."

"It's been sometime since they left." Wufei's voice held a hint of disappointment.

"And they were very discreet. I haven't heard a single word about this."

"This place is distant and Kushrenada's dangerous." Heero justified.

"Grab your weapons, ladies. There's the house." Duo interrupted them, pointing a finger ahead.

The manor was big, its white walls stained by rain and wind and dust. A long staircase led them to the wide porch where they were finally rid of the needle thin raindrops, for now it was more of a mist than rain, but the thunders kept warning them it would only grow worse. A small round table had been placed there on the porch, its wood looked newer than the house's, its white coating a lot less stained. At the other side of the porch, a bench also painted white.

They took cover against the door as one of Duo's men kicked the door open, then they rushed inside, as swift as water, guns raised, but the room was empty. All that remained was an old stained loveseat with two broken legs. Part of the ceiling had collapsed and pieces of broken wood boards were spread all over the place, through the remaining hole they had a glimpse of the second floor.

Silently, Heero signaled for them to check the other rooms, though he was pretty sure no one had been left behind. When they regrouped at the first room, his suspicions were confirmed. Kushrenada made no mistakes.

"What do we do now?" someone asked.

"We could search the house for clues." Another man suggested.

"We'd find nothing." Wufei stated with conviction. "It's Kushrenada we're talking about."

"Should we call Trowa, Relena and the other men we left behind?" Quatre asked him in particular.

"Just let them know the area is clear."

"Will we be staying here for the night?"

"I'll survey the house myself… But it's hardly safe."

A nod and Winner was gone. He discreetly walked away from the discussion, taking the stairs to the second floor. Half the roof was gone and the weather had taken its toll, the floor boards were wet and frail, threatening to collapse at any minute and the rain outside seemed to be slowly turning into a storm. He walked back down. Wufei was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"I will not sleep here. In his house!" he stated stubbornly, and Heero knew there would be no yielding.

"None of us will." He answered calmly. "The place offers more risk than protection."

"And now what?" Duo stepped up to them, just as a loud thunder shook the entire building. He had wanted to spend the night here, under a roof.

"Now we move as far from here as we can before this rain turns into a storm. Camping nearby would be far too risky. There may be people watching this place."

Another thunder sounded and a broken board fell from the ceiling right on Duo's men's feet. They jumped backwards cursing and, as soon as the shock had worn off, started walking out.

"Well… I've just changed my mind." Duo scratched his head and hurried after his men.

Wufei followed shaking his head. The wind howled as it moved inside the house. Heero noticed how dark the sky had grown and rushed out. They did not have much time.

* * *

"How are you doing there?" the wind carried Quatre's voice to his ears.

"Almost done!" Trowa shouted back as they put up their tent.

He should have brought his small tent, Heero thought as he looked at the big fancy tents Quatre had got them. Satisfied with his work, he stepped inside and stood there watching. The wind shook the tent a little, but thankfully it did not look like it would fly off the ground during the night.

With a sigh, he removed his holster and placed it on the floor by the corner where he laid the blankets he would use as a mattress. He had just removed his wet shirt and boots when Relena walked in hastily. He turned around in time to see her blushing.

"I'm sorry." She stuttered. "I couldn't see a thing with the storm and the darkness… I thought this was my tent."

"That's…" he cleared his throat. "I can find another tent."

"No! You were already…" she could not find the word for it. She was so embarrassed she could not meet his eyes, but did not dare look at his naked chest either.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes before you get sick." He said simply.

"Oh…" she examined her heavy cold attire and frowned. "I guess I'll have to go back to my ladylike clothes."

Heero nodded, gathering his belongings, while she removed her boots and socks. When she started unbuttoning her shirt, he hurried to the exit, his heart beating too fast all of a sudden. He stopped for a moment, holding the flap open, and closed his eyes, fighting the urge to look over his shoulder.

"Stay." She said, her voice both sure and hesitant.

He exhaled. It had crossed his mind, that she might propose something like that, but he had dismissed the thought. It was too soon. A knot had formed in his throat, yet he turned around slowly, ready to refuse the offer. She held her wet shirt against her breast, blushing. Her skin looked so soft, its color a pale champagne, unstained by the hot western sun, and her wet hair hung over her bare shoulder exposing her delicate neck. He could not help but stare.

"I'm afraid I left my trunk in my tent." She whispered, her blush deepening under his gaze. It was softer than she had ever seen it, still she did not dare meet his eyes.

A loud thunder shook the tent, bringing Heero out of his reverie. He walked briefly back to where he had been standing when she entered, dropped his belongings back on the ground and grabbed a blanket from the pile. His eyes met hers as he slowly and carefully wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She breathed against his lips, pulling the blanket tighter around her cold body. They were so close…

Heero raised a wavering hand and gently lifted her head so she would meet his eyes. Relena's lips parted slightly as she realized his eyes reflected the light she knew burned in her own. She closed them lightly, waiting, praying. His hesitation was obvious, once he crossed that line there would be no going back. He took a deep breath… and kissed her.

Relena could not bring herself to let go of the blanket, it was too soon for that, but she freed one hand laying it on his chest, right above his heart. His skin was burning under her cold fingers, and the contact made him shiver. He pulled away breathless, holding her face in both hands. This time, she held his gaze as she also fought hard to regain her breath.

"I can feel your heart…" she whispered, after a long moment of silence, staring at her hand where it rested against his thorax.

He laid one hand atop hers and breathed. "I want you to be with me, when I move to L2."

She gapped and had to shake her head so the words would come to her. "I don't know what to say… That's just so… unexpected."

"I know." He nodded seriously.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked expectantly, but his answer was a shrug. He really did not know. "My mother would never… My mother. I left her back in Sanc."

"She may come with us. I don't mind."

"I… I don't know, Heero. I need to think about it. It's not that I don't…" the thought of marrying him made her blush. "It's just that it's all so sudden…"

"I know." He repeated, taking a step back. "We should rest." He added and would say no more.

They improvised a bed with the remaining blankets and laid side-by-side, trying to keep warm. The wind continued to howl outside, shaking the tent violently at times. Every time a lightning fell, Relena tensed up afraid that the next one might strike their tent or one of their friends'. Every thunder reverberated through her body, making her heart speed up. The storm seemed a lot more vivid then, than when she had been safe inside her childhood home.

Finally, when she had had enough of it, she slid closer to Heero, hoping he would not wake up, and rested her head against his shoulder. He pulled her closer, whether consciously or not she would never know. Wrapped in his arms she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Just another week and I'll be on vacation and then I will hopefully finish this fic. Thanks for your support so far and, as usual, for reading!


	16. Chapter XVI

**CHAPTER XVI**

He had made a mistake… Asking her to live with him? So soon? What had he been thinking? It's true Trowa had told him to live up to his words – _"act on your emotions" _– and he had done it. He had acted without thinking and her refusal, because that was how he saw it, had left a foreign emptiness in its wake, as well as shame and anger. He was not angry at her, but at himself. She had merely been reasonable whereas he had been impulsive and reckless.

She smiled at him now, turning around in her saddle. They were arriving back in L1, where it had all started, with no clues whatsoever as to Kushrenada's whereabouts and no idea where to look for them. He met her eyes, his whole expression softening. They had spent almost the entire day talking. Heero was sure he had never spoken that much in a single day, he had even had to ignore Duo's amused look and Quatre's proud smile.

Relena had told him about her father and mother, acknowledged how suffocated she had felt growing up all alone in her family's manor, she had described what had happened on the day her father died and shared with him her theories on why Treize Kushrenada had done what he had done, and he had listened flattered that she would choose him to open up to. He had opened up to her, maybe that was why she suddenly trusted him with that load of information.

When the conversation ended, she thanked him, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Sometimes she would turn her head and smile, and he would wonder why that was. After a few times, he simply accepted the smiles and allowed them to lift his spirits. It was good to see her happy.

"Will you be staying at the hotel?" Quatre asked her as they walked into the town.

"I will."

"I'll accompany you there then, I believe I'll be staying there as well."

As they led their horses away from the party, Duo approached the others. "How 'bout we head straight to the saloon for a game of poker and a couple o' drinks?"

"Sounds good to me." Wufei agreed jumping off the wagon.

Trowa and Heero merely shrugged. While Duo's men hid the wagon and stabled their mounts, they made their way to the saloon and got themselves a private room where they could play alone and undisturbed. They sat down with their drinks and cigarettes, and Duo dealt the cards, his practiced hands quick yet precise. He placed his bet, watching Heero curiously.

"So…" he started carefully. "What's goin' on between you and the lady?"

"Raise." Wufei said purposefully loud. He thought they were going to have a quiet game, but he should have known better.

"Call." Duo threw a couple more chips on top of the others, annoyed with the interruption. "So?"

Heero folded. "Nothing's going on, Maxwell."

"Leave him be, Duo." Trowa protested, examining his cards.

"Raise." Wufei repeated, throwing more chips on the table.

Duo glared at him. "I know what you're doing. Call."

"Fold." Trowa said with a frown.

"Raise." Chang insisted.

"Call." Duo barked.

"Rai…"

"Fine! I fold…" the braided man threw down his cards and crossed his arms in retaliation, while the Chinese man took hold of the spoils. "You know…" his good mood returned suddenly. "Relena looks an awful lot like the governor's missing daughter…"

"When governor Peacecraft's daughter disappeared we were all just children…" Trowa commented, shuffling the cards. "It's been more than fifteen years."

"Yeah, but they're still looking for 'er, and there's quite a reward…"

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Heero frowned at him, ignoring the cards Trowa had laid in front of him.

"That amount of money could change all our lives, Yuy." It was Wufei who answered, his voice firm and grave. "And it's not as if we were leading her to her demise. She could leave if she didn't like it there."

"Ya' always were one for fancy words." Duo chuckled at him, earning a glare.

"If you decide to tell her your suspicions and if, afterwards, she decides to go after the governor… Then I won't object. But if you plan to lead her all the way there without her knowing so you can earn a reward... I want no part in it." Heero stood up and walked out.

The right thing to do would be to tell Relena the truth and support her decision whatever it may be, but… If she discovered she was indeed the governor's daughter, she would surely never return. He would never see her again. That thought made him feel uneasy.

"Heero!" he stopped right outside the saloon. Quatre came running towards him, his eyes reflecting how troubled he felt on the inside. "Relena's gone."

"What? When? How?"

"She said she would take a bath and went up to her room. Then I heard a scream and what sounded like a scuffle. I hurried to the door, but it was locked and, when I finally managed to get the owner to open it for me, she was gone."

"Go. Tell the others." He frowned, inspecting the occupied tables inside the saloon. Suddenly, realization dawned upon him. His frown deepened and, as fast as his legs would carry him, he ran.

* * *

She kicked and punched him the entire way from her hotel room to the stables, but he did not even flinch. He was a big man… Pete, Heero had called him, if she was not mistaken. She remembered his disgusting smile. He only had one eye, she had not noticed that before, but now she did. It was impossible not to.

"One-eyed Pete they calls me." He mumbled angrily as she watched him from the haystack where he had dumped her. Pete stared at his middle finger, where her pearl white teeth had left their clear impression, at least he had managed to keep her quiet.

"What do you want from me?" she demanded, irritated.

"I ain't never had a woman like ya'… All lady-like and smellin' good." He seemed to be talking to himself, complaining about the injustices of his life, protruding his lower lip like a little child while mumbling like and old man. "Ain't got no money to pay them whores neither… They charges more 'cause of my missin' eye."

Relena frowned lightly, she wondered if she could chat him into letting her go. He sounded hurt and confused, but she was not unaware that it might be a façade, that he might be trying to make her pity him. While he continued his monologue, she looked around in search of an escape, but she was inside a box stall and the walls were too tall for her to jump. She could have tried running through Pete's open legs, but she was neither agile nor fast enough. She did not even want to imagine what he would do to her when he caught her.

"This isn't what you want, Pete." She told him calmly, deciding to play his game. "Forcing me won't make me like you."

His expression turned from desolate to enraged, his eyes hardening. "You're just like them others…" he said, his voice deeper than it had been seconds before, and eyed her with disgust, taking a step forward.

"You don't want to do this." Relena tried again, backing away from him as discreetly as she could until she had hit the wall. She looked over her shoulder, hoping it was not really the wall, but saw only the dark wooden boards from which the stable had been built. Biting her lip, she turned back to Pete.

"Come here, you…" he reached for her arm.

She slapped his hand away and ducked to the nearest corner, but he caught her by the hair before she could go very far and pulled her towards him, pushing her body against the wall, his big fat hand around her throat. Relena kicked him between the legs, but - aside from gritting his teeth - he did nothing. She grabbed his wrist with both hands, raising her head and opening her mouth, trying to breathe, and a shrieking sound came from her lungs.

Then, suddenly, he let her go and pulled out his gun, rushing to the stable door. While she sat there on the floor coughing, she seemed to faintly hear Heero's voice.

* * *

"Come out, Pete!" he shouted, ready to jump behind a row of abandoned containers as soon as the man appeared. His hands tightened around the grips of his guns when he heard sounds coming from inside the stables. "Let 'er go!" he tried again, but still nothing. Voices reached him from the inside, but he could not understand what they were saying.

"Go way, Yuy! The girl wants _me_." Pete finally answered.

Heero frowned. "Let 'er tell me that herself then."

The man was many things, he knew, but smart was not one of them. He should have imagined that the first place anyone would go looking for him would be the place where he spent most of the time – the stables – or maybe he thought he could win against Heero. Everyone knew ever since he had lost his eye, Pete could not tell how far or close things were. He still knocked down his glass sometimes.

"She don' wanna talk to ya'. Go way!"

Sighing in frustration, he fired a warning shot. That was enough to make the enemy sufficiently angry to shoot back at him. Pete unloaded his gun, shooting holes on the wooden containers while Heero merely sat back and counted. When the one-eyed man took cover to reload, he charged towards the open doors, but a shadow of blonde hair caught his attention, making him hesitate for a moment. Pete fired again just as he jumped to the side, leaning against the wall of the stable and out of the enemy's sight. He dropped the gun on the ground, right arm suddenly covered in blood.

"I ain't all that bad, Yuy." Pete laughed.

Heero swore under his breath, eyes running wildly in search of the blonde figure. It could not have been Relena… or could it? Only a wall separated him from his enemy, any mistake would mean death. Due to the pain, he was having a hard time just controlling his altered breath.

"If ya' move an inch, I'm gonna shoot ya' as well." He heard the man tell Relena and frowned. One-eyed Pete was dangerous and inconstant, if he did not act soon, the man might lose his patience and do something harsh.

Sidling closer to the door, he listened as Relena argued with her kidnapper, trying to convince him to let her go, but before Pete could answer her, the loud noise of falling buckets startled them all. Heero seized the opportunity to run inside the stable and touch the muzzle of his remaining gun to the enemy's back, right above his heart.

Pete roared like a cornered beast, swinging his massive arm at the smaller man as he turned around. Heero dodged the attack with ease, firing at the man's thigh angrily.

"You do not deserve a painless death." He said then, watching as the enemy rolled on the ground clutching his bleeding limb and howling with pain.

He kicked the man's gun far from his reach, just as Relena flung herself at him. Once the shock had worn off, he encircled her waist with his good arm.

"I thought you were dead." She whispered in his ear, but there were no signs of tears in her voice, merely relief.

Then she pulled slightly away yet her lips inched closer, but Heero frowned raising his gun and aiming it at something or someone behind her. She shivered. Could Pete have already recovered from his wound? When she looked over her shoulder though, it was not the one-eyed man she saw… A tall, long haired blonde man was standing by the pile of fallen buckets, his blue eyes returning Heero's gaze coldly.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **First of all, I'm no poker specialist... I must have played poker, like... 4 times? In my entire life? But I did try to use the correct terms and all... Forgive me if I've made any mistakes. Secondly, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I'm not a Christian, but I believe Christmas is about a lot of other things as well... happiness and forgiveness and being grateful. So, thanks for reading and supporting, and I'll see you next week!


	17. Chapter XVII

**CHAPTER XVII**

"There's a bottle of moonshine in that cabinet." He nodded towards the aforementioned cabinet as he sat on the cot.

She moved confidently around his small cabin, not at all affected by all that had happened. Heero looked down at his arm where a piece of cloth she had ripped off her dress was all that stopped his wound from bleeding. He did not know the extent of the damage, he had not had the time to properly look at it, but he knew it was bad. He could feel it in the numbness of his fingers and the searing pain that shot up his arm and shoulder every time he tried to raise his forearm.

"Why does a man who doesn't drink have a bottle of liquor in his house?" Relena sat beside him, laying the bottle and handkerchief on the cot so she could unbandage his arm.

"It can barely be called a house."

Her eyes found his for a mere second, but it was enough for Heero to know she had noticed the change of subject. She did not say a word as she let the bloody piece of cloth fall to the floor, her hand touched his wound gently, still he had to school himself not to flinch. Relena seemed lost in thought, her brow furrowing as she imagined the pain he had felt and would still feel.

"We should have called the doctor."

"To pay him a fortune for something we can do ourselves?"

"I can afford it." She sounded rebuking, but dampened the handkerchief with the moonshine and started cleaning the wound. Heero tensed, breathing through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry." Was all she could say.

"Are you seeing the bullet?" he asked when she stopped, his voice hoarse.

Relena leaned forward, holding his arm carefully, and narrowed her eyes. "I think I am. It's not deep."

"Hn." He nodded. "There's a knife and tweezers in that drawer, you'll have to sterilize them with fire. Use the lamp, and bring me that rag lying on top of the counter."

She did as told, her heart speeding up as the moment drew nearer. She hated causing him pain and to imagine how much that would hurt… It made her sick. While she held knife and tweezers over the fire, she tried to distract herself and think of something else.

"Who was that man?"

"I don't know."

"Then why did you agree to meet him?"

"Because I have an idea who he may be."

"Who?"

"Milliardo Peacecraft."

"The governor's son?" she finally sat beside him again, waiting for the metal to cool down. "I heard he was Kushrenada's friend."

"He was his right arm, but that was a long time ago." He let his eyes wander over her until they met her own. "Are you ready?"

"No…" she shook her head and, before he could protest, kissed him. It was the most desperate, intense, breathtaking kiss any of them had ever experienced, but she ended it before it had barely started. "I… Let's save it for when I've finished."

He nodded and a ghost of a smile graced his lips for a moment before he shoved the rag into his mouth and braced himself for the upcoming pain.

* * *

Milliardo Peacecraft was in his hotel room, enjoying a glass of whiskey and the comfort of an old armchair, when he heard a knock. It was late, but it did not bother him. He had, after all, told the bounty hunter to come as soon as possible and without the girl. They glared at each other for a long moment - measuring the other's strength in a silent combat – until the blonde finally felt forced to invite his guest in.

Heero watched as the other man regained his seat, he refused to sit down however tired or light headed he felt. One of his arms was in a sling, and he did not want to feel any more vulnerable. The blonde man's eyes narrowed knowingly.

"Mr. Peacecraft…" he started wanting to end that uncomfortable situation and be on his way as soon as possible.

"Call me Zechs." The man looked disturbed by the sound of his own name. "I don't use that name aside from home."

"Zechs." Heero repeated, obviously irritated.

"For years I have looked for her…" he started with a distant air to him, but quickly regained his composure and the cold attitude with it. "How much do you want?" Heero frowned. "Don't try to fool me, Yuy. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Surely you were planning to take her back to our parents and trade her for money. I'm asking you… How much do you want?"

"Relena's not my hostage, she's my employer."

It was Zechs' turn to frown. "My sister's your employer?"

"She's hired me to help her avenge her father."

"The man she thinks is her father…"

"Makes no difference to me."

"Then that's why you're after Treize…" he gave the bounty hunter a moment to confirm, but Heero did nothing. "People talk, Yuy. I know you've been to his abandoned mansion…"

"You know where he is." It was not a question. "What do you want? For the information."

The blonde man stared at him for a long time, thoughtful. Then he stood and walked up to the desk, by the window behind his armchair, pulling out a piece of paper where he wrote a long letter. Folding it, he slid the letter into an envelope and returned to his seat. Heero waited, watching him patiently.

"Give this to my sister." He handed the letter to the bounty hunter. "I don't want her to feel like she's obligated to return home. She's old enough to make her own choices. I only want her to know we're here if ever she needs us."

Nodding his understanding, Heero took the envelope and turned it in his hand. "What about Treize?"

Zechs leaned back in his chair, lighting up a cigarette from which he took a long drag. "Barge Fortress."

"What about his wife?"

"She'll be there." He took another drag of his cigarette as Heero turned to leave and, before the man had closed the door behind him, added: "If Relena dies… I will hunt you down and kill you."

He did not even look back. The door closed silently, leaving Zechs to his thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Short, yes, I know, but another one will be coming soon. I wanted to make Zechs more comprehensive... They have enough problems as it is. Three more chapters I think and we should be done. Happy New Year and I'll see you in 2013! Thanks for reading.


	18. Chapter XVIII

**CHAPTER XVIII**

He turned the letter in his hand for the thousandth time. It was not sealed, but he did not even think of opening and reading it. That letter was not addressed to him. Sighing, he shoved it back inside his backpack. He would give it to her, he had made a deal with Peacecraft, he just could not have her lose her focus at this most crucial of times.

Someone cleared their throat behind him then and he turned, alarmed to have been caught off guard. His thoughts had been rather distractful as of late, maybe he should be worrying about his own focus. Relena stood at the entryway, but she stepped in and allowed the tent's flap to close behind her when he acknowledged her presence. She looked slightly nervous which he found quite strange since she had grown really comfortable around him the last three or four days.

"How's your arm?"

Looking down at his wrapped up limb, where it lay on its sling, he slowly flexed his fingers. "Better." He told her.

"You've been quiet today…" she watched as his expression turned to confusion and he opened his mouth in search of an answer, but she did not give him the time to speak. "Can we talk?"

Relieved, he nodded and gestures towards the floor. There was nowhere else to sit. She sat on the pile of blankets, the same that had been on his tent before, when they were returning from Kushrenada's mansion. Now, they were on their way to Barge Fortress, but that was the only difference aside from the storm.

"I…" she started, staring at her hands, but then lifted her eyes, suddenly filled with confidence, and a timid smile twisted her lips. "I have made a decision… I'm coming with you to L2."

"You are?" he frowned as if he had not understood a single word. Even though he had invited her, deep down he had not really considered the possibility of her accepting his offer.

"I am." He ran his finger through his already disheveled hair, and Relena frowned. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course, I'm happy." That word sounded weird on his lips, but he used it anyways. "I just…"

"You didn't think I would accept." She filled in for him and received a nod. "You're better than you think, Heero."

"I'm not so sure about that." He smiled bitterly, sitting beside her on the blankets. His eyes wondered around the practically empty tent, and he saw his past. "You asked about the bottle of moonshine… Have you ever heard of men who drank themselves to death?"

"Once, I heard my father's men talking about an old drunk who frequented the nearby saloon… They said the bottle had killed him. I didn't understand exactly what they meant, I was way too young, but I do so now." Her eyes shone with anguish as they searched his face.

"I'm not used to drinking… I thought an entire bottle would be enough, but I never had the chance to try… as much as I wanted to."

Relena frowned, her face taken by the anguish that had been contained in her eyes. "Why? Why kill yourself?"

"Once the organization was over, I realized I had nothing. I had no one. Killing was all I knew, but every death weighed on my conscience whether I wanted it to or not. I was young and just couldn't fit in. I couldn't see a future for myself."

"What about the others? Didn't you fit in with them?"

"Not at first, but they kept me busy, and so I postponed my death until I found something I could do."

"Bounty hunt?"

"And other things."

"Like helping young women avenge their fathers' deaths?"

Heero allowed himself a small smile, realizing that sometime during their conversation she had taken his hand in hers. He caressed her fingers with his thumb, lost in memories he wished he could erase. Trowa was right, it was time for him to move on. This intense new feelings he harbored for this woman were a sign, a path that opened up to him and all he needed to do was keep walking and not look back. So he did.

He let go of her hand and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Relena's lips parted slightly, and he inhaled before inching closer. When their lips finally touched, he felt her hand in his hair as if returning his gesture. She moved closer, allowing his good arm to wrap around her waist, pressing her body against his however she could while minding his injured arm.

"Stay with me tonight." She breathed against his lips, when they pulled away. Her eyes still closed.

"Relena…" he started, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"We may die tomorrow." Her eyes were serious now.

She raised her hand slowly and untied the knot that kept the sling around his neck. He rested the arm on his thigh, watching her closely. With calm and assertiveness, she opened the buttons of his shirt, one by one, and placed her hand above his heart like she had done before. Then she pushed the shirt off his shoulders, her hand running down his injured arm. The bandages were unstained, but she frowned at the thought of the scars… Stitching had been difficult.

"Don't." Heero whispered, raising her head with his good hand. "Don't think about it."

"But…" she trailed off, shivering when he pushed her hair aside and placed a kiss on the gentle curve between her neck and shoulder. "For once I'm grateful for all the knitting lessons…"

He smiled. "So am I."

* * *

"How are you going to fight?" realization hit her hard then, as she watched him buckle his belt, from the pile of blankets where she sat.

"I still have one arm, and this." He raised his gun so she could see it before he holstered it.

"And what exactly is that?"

"This is one of the best semi-automatic pistols I've ever held. It's Howard's work so we should be fine."

All that he explained as he packed, so used was he to that ritual that he did it almost unconsciously. Relena watched marveled as he folded clothes and blankets in the blink of an eye. The only other person she knew who could do that was her mother.

"Heero…" Duo's face appeared between the flaps suddenly, for once he looked serious. "The scouts are back." He waited for Heero's nod and turned to Relena. "Morning, Lena."

"Morning, Duo." She smiled back at him.

"It shouldn't take long." Heero followed the other man outside.

The previous night, while they stopped to build up camp, two of Duo's men had been sent ahead to spy the enemy. Now, they were back with precious information and a lot of planning would have to be done. He joined the others around the fire. Trowa was still cooking breakfast while Wufei smoked his pipe and Quatre sat smiling at the scouts who seemed honestly afraid of his smile.

"Boss." They stood up when they saw Duo.

"You can sit down, boys. Tell Mr. Yuy what you saw in Barge Fortress."

"A damn fortress it is, boss." The one with five missing teeth agreed.

"But there's a broken wall!" the second man, a short round fellow, cut in. "We saw it!"

"You think it's possible for a man to climb in through it?" Trowa asked.

"With a lil' help, mister." Missing teeth nodded.

"What about the enemies?" Quatre asked, serious.

"More than fifty, mister."

"But less than a hundred, that's for sure." Shorty added.

"And how's the place guarded?"

"Two men in each of them corners… Twenty four total."

"And they shift every couple o' hours!"

"What about the gate?" Heero finally spoke. "You think, if a couple of our men climbed in through the broken wall, they could reach the front gate and open it for the others?"

"Good idea, Mr. Yuy!" they congratulated him, but Heero merely ignored them, his question unanswered.

"Winner, you go ahead and take a look at the place yourself. I want you to take your own conclusions. We'll catch up with you soon and we'll need a good plan by then."

"I'll get my horse ready." Quatre nodded.

"We cannot fail."

"I know." He reassured them all with his usual smile and left in a hurry.

"Maxwell."

"What?"

"Let all of your men know the Kushrenada's are off limits. They belong to Relena."

"Of course!" Duo agreed enthusiastically.

"And make sure to recruit smarter men next time."

As Heero turned to leave, Maxwell gave his men an apologetic smile, laughing uncomfortably. "Well, someone's got a stick up his…"

"Maxwell." Trowa interrupted him, his tone warning. "You know it's the adrenaline speaking. We'll be in action soon, and he's gotta have everything under control."

"And you also know he's right." Wufei added. Trowa frowned at him, and Duo had to give his men yet another apologetic smile. Chang emptied his pipe with a serious look. "This is going to be a war…"


	19. Chapter XIX

**CHAPTER XIX**

"C'mon, Barton. You gimme a push and then I'll help ya' from up there." Duo suggested as they hid behind a few bushes waiting for the right moment to climb through the broken wall and into the fortress.

"I can climb up without help, Maxwell. I'll pull you up. It'll be faster."

"No, it won't. I can't jump as high as you, so you'll have to make extra strength to pull me up. Now, if you jump and I pull ya' up, it'll be a lot faster."

Trowa frowned, thoughtfully, analyzing their options. Speed was a necessity, the others would not be able to hide the wagon for long, and so the decision seemed pretty much made.

"Fine." He told Maxwell just as Heero would have.

They sat for a couple more minutes behind the bushes, waiting for the right moment. A guard stood on the watchtower beside the broken wall, repeater on his shoulder, staring at the fields beyond the fortress walls. Suddenly, his companion returned from wherever he had gone, and the two started discussing some information. Those few minutes of distraction were all they had been waiting for.

Duo and Trowa strode towards the broken wall noiselessly. They were close enough that the guards would not even imagine they were there, it was practically a blind spot. Trowa got down on one knee, bending forward so Duo could use his back as a trampoline, then jumped high enough to grab the edge of the wall and, with the braided man's help, was soon sitting on the wall as well. When the guards returned to their watches, they ran their eyes over the extent of wall they could see, including the broken wall… All was well.

Leaning against the wall, in the shadows, they steadied their breaths. Approximately sixteen feet from where they stood, a pair of men guarded each side of the way, they would have to move slowly and carefully and soon or they were sure to be spotted despite the shadows that covered them. At Trowa's sign, they sidled quietly to the left towards the front gate. Another couple of men guarded the corner, thankfully they had their backs turned to the intruders.

Holding his breath, Trowa reached for the skinning knife in his boot, just as he grabbed the hilt though both men fell dead before his eyes. He turned, wide-eyed, to Maxwell who smiled proudly, waving a collection of throwing knives at him.

They stuck to the wall, turning the corner. The shadows still favored them and the front gate lay only a few meters ahead, but to reach it they would have to leave their cover. There was no other way.

A watchtower stood on their left and another two at either side of the gate. Duo looked at them with a frown and turned to his partner. "What do we do now?" he whispered.

Trowa pulled out his pocket watch. "Now, we wait. The guards will be shifting soon."

They waited for what seemed to be an eternity to Duo, leaning against the wall, practically holding their breaths – as if that made much of a difference – and praying the dead guards would not be noticed. Then all the enemies became noisier, they started chatting and slowly walking out of their bases.

Duo elbowed his partner , and the two charged towards the front gate at full speed. A shout sounded above their heads, probably a man who had been left behind. His shout alerted the others, who started to run back, and the guards in the other, more distant towers as well, but – by the time they had all assembled at the front gate towers – the gate had already been opened. Trowa and Duo took cover behind the fortress walls as men started to come running towards them from some room inside and the Gatling gun started firing.

* * *

As one of Maxwell's men worked the Gatling gun, Wufei, Quatre, Heero, Relena and the few remaining men fired at the enemies that arrived at the towers above them. Ten men were killed in the first tower and another eight in the second, meanwhile the Gatling gun kept firing. There was nowhere for the enemies, who came running straight to the entrance, to take cover. They were covered with bullets and at least twenty four were killed before they stopped coming. Duo's men cheered shouting, laughing or roaring.

"It ain't over yet." Wufei reprimanded them.

"Do not forget the friends you lost." Quatre's eyes ran over the few that had fallen.

"Leave the Gatling gun and let's advance." Heero ordered, moving towards the gate where Trowa and Duo stood waiting. "How's the situation?"

"There's a door on the wall opposite to the broken wall, we have no idea where it leads, and another, wider, door on the wall right to it, this probably leads to a common room by the noises that came from inside."

Heero nodded. "I can see the wider door from here. We better hurry and take cover by those corners before anyone comes out." Then he turned to Relena, who had just stopped beside him, and assessed her condition with his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his hand on her shoulder.

"I am. Are you?" she looked at his wounded arm when she asked.

"I'll be fine." He reassured her, but her eyes still showed doubt as they met his. All he wanted then was to kiss her, he feared for her just as she did for him and the tension was getting to him. He had never had to worry about anyone's neck but his own…

Suddenly, the wider door burst open and enemies started rushing out. They were ten in total, armed with revolvers and repeaters. Heero ran to the left wall following Winner and Chang as a surprised Relena was dragged to the right by Duo and Trowa who exchanged a nod with their leader. The right wall provided better cover and they would make sure Relena was safe. Reassured by that fact, Heero started firing.

Soon a couple more men came running from the second, smaller, door Duo had mentioned. It appeared to lead to a prison and the men had probably been guarding the prisoners. The enemy had no cover though, their chances rested on numbers and the fact that they had obviously been impeccably trained. There was always someone firing, they gave not a single opportunity for the intruders to counterattack.

Wufei swore under his breath. "What now, Yuy?"

Heero frowned, displeased with the man's tone, but decided to ignore it. "Do you still have dynamite?"

The Chinese man's face lit up and he gave a malicious smile, just as he pulled two dynamite sticks from behind his back. "Barton!" he tossed one of the sticks to the other side, high enough that it would not be shot, and straight into Trowa's hands. Without a word, they lit the sticks and threw them.

Leaning against the wall, they waited. The fuses were short enough that, the moment the enemies realized a dynamite stick had fallen, it had already blown. By the time both sticks had exploded, only one enemy was left alive. He stared at them and all the guns pointing at him, then swallowed his pride and placed his repeater on the floor before raising both hands above his head.

"Hogtie him." Duo told one of his men.

When the man approached the enemy though a rain of bullets came flying from inside the room. Both men died and the rest of the group had to part yet again, running to take cover at either side of the wide door. The shots kept coming. Six men, Heero counted, surely they could simply wait for the right moment and fire. If their timing was right and they all fired together, it would be over in an instant.

"I'll count up to three." Quatre told him, obviously reading his mind. "Gesturing for the others to see."

"Don't forget to ready your own gun." Heero nodded to him.

"I won't." he smiled, as usual, then took a deep breath and started counting.

Duo and Trowa caught up to the plan almost immediately, they prepared their weapons, instructing Relena to do the same even though she was not going to take part in the shootout. When Quatre finished counting, they all moved together, shooting desperately. One of Duo's two remaining men, the first to jump out of cover, was shot, but – despite that one casualty – the plan worked perfectly and they were all able to run into the room and behind the first solid structure they spotted, the bar counter.

"Welcome to Barge Fortress." A woman's voice told them.

Quatre risked a quick look over the counter. "It's _her_."

"You can stand up. I have a proposal to make." She continued.

They all turned to Heero, who exchanged a worried glance with Winner, and a heated argument began. Wufei, Trowa and Relena did not trust her and were sure she would have her men shoot them as soon as they stood. Quatre, Duo and his remaining man wanted to hear what she had to say. Heero listened to both sides, he did not trust the woman either, but he could not let his personal feelings interfere with his decision.

"Discard your weapons."

"Now, why would we do that?!" Duo inquired, incredulous.

"She's talking to her men." Trowa clarified and, as if to confirm his explanation, they heard the enemies' weapons falling on the floor.

"You can stand now. No one's going to shoot you." She reassured them.

"They may have more weapons." Wufei held Quatre's arm before he could stand.

"You stand." Duo said pushing his man lightly.

"I ain't standing alone!" the man complained.

"I am!"

"Relena!" Heero reached for her hand, but it was too late. All he could do was stand as well, and the others followed.

Lady Une they called her. Some said her parents had come from England, others said she had come from England herself, either ways she was an elegant woman, always impeccable and as hard as a rock. She stood at the opposite side of the room, in front of the door that would surely lead them to her husband, surrounded by six men. Her smile widened when they stood up.

"What's the proposal?" Chang asked already far too irritated with the whole situation.

"I see we've all got six men left."

"So?"

"So I thought it would be a lot more interesting if you discarded your weapons and fought with your fists. Fairer even."

"How could it be any fairer when we've got a one-armed man?" Duo motioned angrily towards Heero, who frowned obviously displeased.

"Well…" Une paused for a second then turned to the man on her left. "Break your arm." She told him.

A shocked Quatre stepped forward. "I'm sure there's no need to go that far. Wounded or not Heero's still worth at least two of your men."

"If you are so confident… Come to the center of the room and let us start."

"I'm sorry." Winner whispered when he saw Heero's raised eyebrow. "I couldn't think of anything else and I had to stop her."

"That ain't the problem right now." He shook his head. "We're clearly in disadvantage."

"Why? Just 'cause we're all so skinny?"

"If I'd known…" Duo mumbled. "I would've brought a couple bottles of moonshine. I fight a lot better drunk."

Heero ignored him, walking away from the group for a moment to instruct Relena. "Stay here and stay down."

"You can't fight with your arm like that! Surely you could turn down her proposal." She grabbed his hand desperately.

"Why do you think she made that proposal? They're running out of bullets… and so are we. This gives us a better chance, however small, of winning and surviving as well."

She nodded, crouching behind the counter as he had asked her. He took a long time letting go of her hand. Her image was on his mind as he made his way to the center of the room. He would not lose.

* * *

Relena watched as Heero dodged yet another punch, using the opportunity to strike the enemy right under the sternum. For a 'one-armed man' he surely could fight. Trowa dodged his opponent's attacks with ease and grace, it looked like they were dancing, but she could see the enemy growing tired. Duo would not shut up, he threw all kinds of insults at the other man, until he lost his mind for the briefest of seconds and attacked impulsively, leaving himself open for the braided man to counter. Quatre took advantage of his slim physique to dodge the opponent's attacks, but he had few opportunities to counter and he was growing tired. Wufei and Duo's man, whose name she had never learned, were the only ones fighting like equals with their respective opponents.

Behind the fighting mess, Relena could see Lady Une smiling… She would never forget that smile. That woman had been to her house, talked with her father for a long time and departed with that same smile on her lips. Unaware of who she was and what she had just done, Relena had smiled back like the educated young lady she was. Afterwards, when she went looking for her father, she found him dead. She would have killed that woman right there and then, but Une had been long gone.

With rage coursing through her veins, Relena left the safety of the counter, hiding behind knocked over tables and chairs until she reached the wall. She did not stand up, remaining crouched all the way despite the burning in her thighs' muscles. Surprise was as good a weapon as any gun. Finally, as she approached her enemy, she stood up, her back straight and her head held high. There was a fire burning in her eyes and the pistol was held tightly between her hands.

Lady Une's eyes widened when she saw the girl and recognized her, but she still did not lose her discreet smile. "Ms. Darlian, I never expected our pursuer to be you. I should've known though."

"You're gonna pay, Une. You and Kushrenada. For all the crimes you've committed."

"Crimes? If we were criminals the law would be after us not you."

"How can you be so full of shit?!"

This time Une looked truly surprised, but her recovery was quick. "It seems you've been spending too much time in the company of these outlaws. What would your dear mother think?"

"Leave my mother out of this!" she raised the gun, pointing it straight at the woman's heart.

"You cannot kill me, girl. My true heart is inside that room." Une's eyes moved to the door behind them, softening with love and fondness. When she turned back to Relena, they were filled with unshed tears. Slowly, she removed her fancy hat and let her light brown hair fall on her shoulders. "I've given my heart and soul to Treize. Whatever you do just… Please, don't kill him."

Relena could feel her anger dissipating, but there was nothing she could do. That was no longer the woman she had wanted to kill. She lowered the gun, her hands trembling. Then Trowa was suddenly there, his gun against Une's head.

"What would you have me do?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Arrest her. It's not up to me."

Trowa nodded. "You wait here."

When he disappeared in the middle of the fight, that was still going on, she turned to the door. That door was the only obstacle left between her and the man who had ordered her father's death. She had come so far… and she had risked her friends' lives to do it. There was no way she was leaving without confronting Treize Kushrenada. Confidently, with her rage restored, Relena opened the door and stepped in.

"I had been waiting for you, Ms. Darlian." Treize was standing behind an old desk, beside a fancy chair, in an elegant suit. She could see the holster and the golden revolver in his waist. He pulled it out and held it bottom up as he circled the desk, meeting her eyes as he did so. "I admire your tenacity. Chasing me, one of the most powerful men in this entire land. Coming all the way here to avenge your beloved father… This world needs more people like you."

She frowned. "What are you saying?"

"You win." He stopped a few steps away from her and offered her his gun. "I need to pay for my crimes. Go on…" Relena's eyes widened. "Kill me."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Longest chapter so far, I guess. I actually drew the whole thing and wrote it down following the scheme, so it may be confusing at some points, but hopefully nothing that compromises the sroty. Well, only one chapter to go, so bear with me. Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter XX

**CHAPTER XX**

Heero kicked the door open. He was unarmed and out of breath, there was a bleeding cut on his brow and another on his lip. His blazing eyes turned to Relena, but she was not looking at him. At his entrance, she had snapped out of her reverie, grabbed the revolver from Treize's hand and was now aiming it at him.

"Why?" she demanded angrily. "Why did you kill my father?"

"Why?" Treize sounded both confused and surprised. "I thought you knew. Haven't your mother told you?" he saw the frown on her face and a smile twisted his lips as he closed his eyes for a second and shook his head. "Your father had grown very influential these last five or so years… He'd been demanding that I be charged the money he claimed I owed to the State. It was quite a fortune… And he was threatening me with a long season in jail. I offered him a quarter of that money so he would stop bothering me. An ordinary man would've taken the money, bought himself lands and raised cattle, but… No, not your father." By the time he finished he was staring at the wall behind her, remembering, and as he met her eyes he shook his head again as if finding it all quite amusing. "That's the way it works here."

A couple tears ran down her cheeks, but her eyes were hard and cold as she stared at him. That man had killed her father and yet, despite all he had said and done, she could not bring herself to hate him half as much as she ought to. Her hands trembled, still she cocked the revolver. She fought against the tears, but she had been holding them back for far too long and they would not stop now.

"Relena." Heero's voice sounded distant though he was standing so close. "You're not obligated to do this. You've done enough already." This time it sounded more like her father's voice. Maybe the voice was coming from inside her head… She was not sure.

"But, father…" she started, her own voice sounding young and naïve.

"It's gonna be alright." Her father's voice continued.

Heero's hand was suddenly holding the gun, he met her eyes, calm and confident as he always was, and pushed the revolver down, making her lower her arms until she was aiming at the floor between their feet. She stared at her own hands unsure of what she was seeing, of what was happening or what would happen. That was it. It was all over… What was she supposed to do now?

"Money…" she whispered. "I thought my father's life was worth more than that."

"Nothing's worth more than money." Heero replied, bitterly, in a tone only she could hear.

She nodded, her chin trembling, and slowly let go of the gun, allowing him to take it from her hands. "I know."

He turned the revolver in his hands, watching as the gold reflected the light. "This should be worth a decent amount…" for a second he met Treize's eyes, then he tucked the gun in his empty holster. "For the trouble." He explained before turning away and taking Relena's arm. "Come. Let's go home."

"Home…" she whispered, still not quite herself, but a smile, however small, curved her lips.

Neither of them had noticed it before, but a second door stood beside the one they had walked in through. It was wide open and Wufei was standing at the threshold. He gestured for them to approach.

"You can get out through here. The way is clear."

Heero nodded, starting to walk, but stopped when he noticed the Chinese man was not following them. "What about you?"

He did not even turn around, his angry glare fixed on Kushrenada's face. "I have business to settle here."

The door led them into the prison where Wufei had killed four enemies who had been trying to block the way. There was something murderous in the way Chang had been fighting, but Heero would have never imagined he had a feud with Kushrenada himself.

Leaving the prison behind, they walked into the patio. On their left the wider door was still open, however the noises in the common room had died down significantly. It seemed the fight was finally coming to an end. They crossed the patio and turned right, striding to the front gate. Heero looked around and behind them all the way and only once they were safe, sitting in the wagon, beside the Gatling gun did he relax.

"It's over." Relena stated suddenly, her eyes lost in the blue sky. She felt light, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and, despite having no objectives at the moment, she did not feel lost. A smile formed on her lips as she turned back to Heero. He was smiling as well.

* * *

"I'm gonna miss ya' guys…" Quatre said as the train to L4 approached L1's station.

"We're gonna miss ya' too, partner." Duo patted him on the shoulder.

Winner nodded, a sad smile on his lips. "I'll leave the wagon with you so you can take the Gatling gun back to L2. That way when you've finished using it, you'll have a reason to come visit me." He turned to Heero then. "About Chang…"

"He'll show up."

"But don't you think it's weird? I mean… There wasn't a body. Wufei fights 'til death. You know him."

"Maybe he and Treize reached an agreement." Trowa shrugged.

"And then they became friends and rode into the sunset." Duo filled up, making the others roll their eyes and Relena giggle.

"Heero and I will go back to Barge Fortress and look again if it makes you feel better." Relena said smiling at him. Heero raised an eyebrow, but ended up nodding.

"Thank you, friends. I'll see you around then."

They waved their goodbyes as he boarded the train, and Trowa quickly turned towards his horse which stood already saddled beside him. "Now, it's my turn to go."

"Come visit us in L2, fella." Maxwell said smiling.

"I will and I'll bring Catherine."

"Yeah, ya' do that."

"Thank you, Trowa." Relena gave him a peck on the cheek. "For everything."

"You're welcome." He smiled at her, then he turned to Heero and tipped his hat. "Yuy."

"Barton." He returned the gesture. "Thank you."

"You two come visit us. I could use some help in the farm sometimes."

Heero nodded, and Trowa mounted. They stood there watching him ride away, until his silhouette disappeared on the horizon.

"So this is it." Duo said stretching. "Don't forget ya' owe me, Yuy."

"I won't. I'll be there in a couple of weeks."

"Don't be late. We're in dire need of help, especially now that we've lost so many men." Duo scratched his head worriedly and sighed. He turned to his man. "Come on, Mund. Let's go to the saloon. We've gotta find some more men to join our cause."

"I won't need that much time. All I have to do is talk to my mother and…" Relena started when the others were gone, but Heero did not seem to be listening. His eyes were focused on the way ahead. He had been acting distantly ever since they had left Barge Fortress. First, she had thought Wufei's disappearance was bothering him, but now she knew it was something else. "Have you changed your mind?"

He frowned, turning his head so he could look at her. "What?"

"Have you changed you mind about taking me with you to L2? Did you tell me all those things just because you thought we wouldn't survive?"

"No." he shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. "I do want you to come with me, but there's something we need to discuss first." He pulled a wrinkled letter out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I've been carrying this with me… waiting for the right moment to give it to you."

The first thing she noted was the Peacecraft's seal, the governor's seal. "That man…" she realized, surprise taking over her face, who the blonde man, who had helped them escape One-eyed Pete, really was. She tore up the envelope, pulled out the letter and started reading.

Heero watched her closely, but her expression remained blank and he could not tell what she was thinking. He imagined Mr. Peacecraft had offered her a place back in the family as well as in their father's will. If she accepted, she would not only be rich, but have a father again and a brother, which she had never had. His reasoning implied only one thing… Relena had nothing to lose, so she would accept it.

When she was done, she folded the letter carefully, returning it to the envelope. "I already knew." She said and had to smile at his confusion. "I already knew the governor was my real father."

He frowned. "How?"

"My father wrote me a letter long before he died. Of course, he meant to tell me the truth himself when he believed I was ready, but in case something happened to him before he could do it he left me a letter. My mother and I found it in his safe. 'It's about time you learned the truth' was all she said. And I did."

"Didn't you want to go after him?"

"And become the governor's daughter? No, that's not for me. I'm tired of being overprotected. Besides I do not consider him my father. I don't even know him. I'd like to meet him one day, of course, and my brother and mother, but not right now." She smiled, brushing dust off his arms and shoulders. "Right now I wanna go home… with you." She met his eyes. "You said we would."

"I know what I said." He whispered against her lips and smiled.

"I mean… After we go to Sanc to see my mother."

"But first, we've gotta go back to Barge Fortress and take another look. Maybe get into more trouble."

Relena smiled. "A new adventure? I can barely wait!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So... This is it! Endings are definitely not my thing, as you can see. I guess the longer a fic is the harder it is to finish it, it just seems to develop a mind of its own. A mind that wants it to go on and on and on. I hope you liked this. Sorry this took longer than usual, I had tests and a work presentation... Thanks for sticking with me 'til the end, for favoriting and reviewing. Hopefully, I'll be seeing you soon!


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